Ships in the Night
by StrawberryPajamas
Summary: Marrying for love is an uncommon practice for the royal family - Prince Christian has been betrothed to Duchess Susanna from a young age, but his feelings for her pale in comparison to what he feels for the shoemaker's daughter, Anastasia. Should he risk everything to marry a commoner, or will following his heart prove to be a big mistake? Set in 1700s, AU OOC
1. The Prince and the Cobbler

**Summary: Marrying for love is an uncommon practice for the royal family - Prince Christian has been betrothed to Duchess Susanna from a young age, but his feelings for her pale in comparison to what he feels for the shoemaker's daughter, Anastasia. Should he risk everything to marry a commoner, or will following his heart prove to be a big mistake? Set in 1700s, AU OOC**

* * *

 **Ships in the Night**

 **By Strawberry Pajamas**

 **Chapter 1: The Prince and the Cobbler**

Grey Castle had always been a sight to behold. For many generations, it had sat upon a tall hill overlooking a town, and on either side of the castle there were acres of open fields, rolling green hills and pastures, and miles of evergreen forests stretching out behind it like an expansive green haven. This particular summer, the castle looked especially beautiful, since its many turrets and towers stretching up toward the sky seemed to positively glimmer underneath the gorgeous blue sky and the warm air which smelled of honeysuckle and lilac.

Queen Grace Trevelyan Grey currently strode through the halls of Grey Castle, gazing around as if she were searching for something. She looked her usual elegant self today, with her robin's egg blue-colored gown and full petticoat, her light blonde hair pinned up in the manner which was common for respected upper class women such as herself. Although the only difference between herself and other women was the sparkling white and silver diadem perched upon her head - the very picture of queenly sophistication and class.

As usual, the spacious corridors of the castle were empty, save for the occasional servant passing by going about their duties. Grace frowned to herself as she made her way toward the north wing, fervently wishing not for the first time that this place wasn't so large.

As she turned the corner into the meeting chambers, she saw her husband the King standing in front of a large table, speaking with the head guardsman as they looked over a parchment document. King Carrick Grey always looked the part of royalty - today, he wore his fine red tailcoat and black breeches, and had many solid gold rings adorning his fingers, conveying his kingly status. He wasn't wearing most of his other usual adornments, however, since he wasn't visiting with any foreign leaders or dignitaries today.

"My King," Grace greeted her husband when she approached him. He glanced up at her.

"My Queen," he greeted her with a smile, being formal for the guardsman's sake. He turned back to him, passing over the piece of parchment. "That'll be all for now, Sir Taylor. Let me know when the tally has been completed."

"Yes, your Majesty," the man bowed his head respectfully before turning and walking away.

"What was that regarding?" Grace asked curiously. She and her husband began walking together down the hall, Carrick offering his elbow for her to hold. "Surely the guards have better things to do than keep a tally of something?"

"It's for the summer harvest. Since it is currently underway, I'm hoping to have an accurate count of all of the food grown and harvested within the next couple months," Carrick explained to her. "That way we can tell if the bounty this year is any greater than what it was last year, or the year before that. We can determine if our annual harvests are getting bigger and more plentiful as the years progress."

"I think we ought to be more satisfied if everybody will have enough to eat through the winter, my King," Grace said with a smile and an eyebrow raise.

"Very true, my Queen," Carrick chuckled as they made their way out to the courtyard. He glanced around the area. "You haven't seen Elliot around anywhere, have you? He was meant to meet with me this morning about the harvest tally."

"He and Isabel had taken their son out for a walk through the meadow this morning," Grace explained. "I had actually come to ask you if you had seen where our other son was, however. I have just received some urgent news about the Duchess that I feel he must know about."

"Wherever he is, I'm sure Amelia is right there with him," Carrick smiled, shaking his head as he thought of his two youngest children. "I still cannot believe those two are nearing adulthood - they still act like such children around one another."

"Well, little Mia is still but a girl of thirteen," Grace said fairly. "And Christian is barely eighteen years of age… he is still but a boy, in most respects."

"A boy whose mother will always see him as such," Carrick teased his wife, and Grace couldn't help but laugh. "Remember, we were not yet one and twenty when we wed."

"So we still have two years' time with our youngest son, My King, before he has become a man. I suggest we make the most of it," Grace teased right back. At that moment, they heard the familiar gleeful laughter of their grandson sound from afar, and the two of them turned to see their eldest son and his wife come walking toward them in the courtyard with their child between them. Jonathan, a boy of barely three, seemed to be having a wonderful time hanging onto his father's hand and kicking up tufts of grass as he skipped along.

"Mother - Father," Elliot greeted his parents with an amiable smile as they approached. "So sorry to have kept you waiting. Have you been here long?"

"I've been waiting all morning, Elliot," Carrick chided his son. "Where have you been? I had wanted you to sit in on a meeting with me and Sir Taylor regarding the summer harvest."

"I'm sorry, Father. Isabel and Jonathan had wanted to play out in the fields today, and I couldn't resist joining them since the weather has been so temperate. We all had a wonderful time, though - hadn't we?"

Jonathan giggled happily while Isabel, Elliot's wife, simply smiled. Isabel Almeida-Torrés Grey had been married to Elliot for over five years now. She was the daughter of a Portuguese dignitary, and she and Elliot had been betrothed to one another since they were ten, eventually marrying when they were eighteen. Isabel was a kind woman - as well as a gorgeous, olive-skinned beauty - but since English was not her mother tongue, she rarely spoke to anyone at Grey Castle except to Elliot and their son.

Jonathan now squealed with glee as a moth began fluttering around his head, and the adults couldn't help but chuckle as the boy tried ducking behind his father when it got too close.

"Elliot, have you seen your brother at all?" Grace asked her son before Carrick could continue reprimanding him.

"He and Amelia were out by the lake, but Isabel and I saw them coming back here right behind us," Elliot said, glancing over toward the trees "I think that's them over there."

Carrick and Grace looked over just in time to see their two youngest children running out of the trees toward the courtyard - little Amelia was giggling happily as her older brother, Christian, pretended to chase her, growling like a lion. With an exaggerated roar, Christian managed to capture her by grabbing her around the waist, and she laughed in delight as he picked her up, her feet dangling above the ground.

"Children!" Carrick barked at them. Christian and Amelia immediately scrambled upright and hurried toward their father, trying to convey some modicum of composure.

"Yes, Father?" Amelia asked once they were in front of him. She and Christian were still out of breath, and their faces were flushed from running around all morning.

"The two of you seem to forget that you are, in fact, royal heirs to the King," Carrick said firmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he glared at them. "You are a prince and a princess, and you are expected to behave as such. When your mother and I call for you, we expect you to be here and available to us - not gallivanting around through the trees like some common urchins."

Christian and Amelia both mumbled their apologies, their faces cast downward, however Carrick didn't miss the smirks they both tried to hold back as they did so.

Carrick shook his head at his petulant children. He turned back toward his wife, gesturing to them. "Grace?"

"Christian, dear, I've been searching everywhere for you," Grace took a step toward her son, and Christian looked up at her. "I have just received word from Hertfordshire that Duchess Susanna will be visiting Grey Castle within the next few weeks. Once she's here, I was hoping we could begin preparations for your upcoming nuptials."

"Of course, Mother. Are you saying this to tell me to be on my best behavior when she arrives?" Christian asked innocently.

"As the future groom to a Duchess, I think that would go without question," Grace said in a stern voice. "Can I expect you to behave like the prince you are once she arrives?"

"Yes, ma'am," Christian said sincerely. Softening, Grace moved forward and cupped her son's cheek in her hand, making him look at her, and she gazed at him for a moment before smiling. She noticed every single day how Christian was growing up to be a very handsome man - with his thick mop of copper-colored hair and a strong, defined jawline, he looked just like his father.

Christian smiled back at her.

"Come, all of you," Carrick said, gesturing toward the doors leading into the castle. "It's nearly noon, and the cooks are going to be serving lunch for us in the main hall. Elliot, maybe we can go over the harvest tally over our meal."

Elliot agreed, and all the Grey children, Isabel, and Jonathan began to follow Carrick and Grace toward the castle. Christian lagged behind a bit, thinking about what his mother had said - the Duchess Susanna was going to be coming by for a visit within the next few weeks. He and the Duchess had been betrothed to each other since they were about twelve years old, despite the fact they had only met a couple of times. Since Christian knew this was the life he had always led as a part of the royal family, he wasn't really too bothered by the idea of being betrothed to her. He always knew he would eventually have to marry, and Susanna was a kind and respectable woman, and would likely make a fine wife for him like Isabel did for his brother. His life would undoubtedly be different, but if it made his family happy, who was he to disappoint them?

He felt little Amelia take his hand, and he looked over to see her smiling widely at him. Christian grinned affectionately back, and allowed her to pull him into the castle after their family.

* * *

In town, there was the usual afternoon bustle of activity amongst the folk who lived there. While the surrounding fields and farms were preparing for the summer harvest, the center of town was lively with activity. The narrow cobblestone streets were filled with horses and carriages, pedestrians walking this way and that along the sidewalks with their bags of shopping or crates of food. About a kilometer in the distance, one could see Grey Castle sitting upon the hill, very visible against the sunny horizon.

One particular carriage made its way from the main road into a smaller, less busy side street before stopping in front of an empty store. The man driving the carriage was a middle-aged gentleman, older in his years yet still seemingly strong and fit for his age. His name was Raymond Steele, and the young woman sitting beside him was his teenage daughter, Anastasia.

Though it was a warm summer's day out, Anastasia still wore a deep red traveling cloak over her dress, and she finally pulled her hood down once the carriage stopped in its tracks. Her large, piercing blue eyes gazed up at the building she and her father had stopped in front of.

"Here we are, Anastasia," Raymond said, gazing up at the building with a smile on his face. "Home sweet home."

Anastasia smiled too, still gazing up at the building that she and her father were going to be starting their new life together from.

Raymond and Anastasia exited the carriage and began gathering some of their bags and trunks before heading through the front door. The entire place was empty and rather small, but Anastasia knew it would suffice - there was a small apartment above the shop that would serve as new living quarters for her and her father, and due to their current situation, it was more than Anastasia expected.

"So what do you think?" Raymond asked, smiling happily as he gazed around the place, setting down his trunks. "A little dusting and a polish, and this place will be open for business within a few weeks' time."

"A little _shoe_ polish, you mean?" Anastasia asked humorously, and her father laughed.

"Well, of course - we are cobblers, after all," he said humorously, and Anastasia rolled her eyes. "This will be a fine place to run our business, without a doubt. I only wish your mother could be here to share all this with us."

Anastasia's smile faded, remembering her mother Carla who she and Raymond had lost to a horrible fever last winter. "If Mother was still here, we wouldn't have moved in the first place," Anastasia said after a moment. "We chose to move here because this was her hometown growing up."

"Very true," Raymond said solemnly. "And fortunately for us, some of her family still live in town and have agreed to help us run the shoe shop. That will help with the finances, I'm sure."

Anastasia nodded. Though her father could scarcely admit it, he had almost gone bankrupt last year, unable to manage both the shoe shop and Carla's medical expenses at the same time. After the illness finally took her, Ray tried desperately to maintain the shop so he could keep food on the table for himself and Anastasia, but they ended up having to move away where the housing was more affordable and their family could help support them.

"We'll be alright, my dear," Raymond said to his daughter fondly, walking over to her and holding out both his hands. Anastasia took them in her own, looking up into her father's warm green eyes and smiling. "We'll be able to manage, and hopefully business will be good enough where I can hire on an apprentice and you won't have to do any of the labor."

"I don't mind helping with the work, Father," Anastasia said honestly. "If it is the best way to keep food on the table, then there's no reason why I shouldn't help you in the shop as much as I can."

"Aye, but a young lady such as yourself shouldn't have to do manual labor," Ray said just as seriously, and Anastasia couldn't help but smile. "You ought to be like all the other ladies your age - meet a young man to woo your swooning heart and marry him so you can have children of your own."

Anastasia couldn't help but laugh. "Father, I have plenty of time before I ought to be wed - don't you worry about that. And it's not as if I know any of the other men in this town except for you and Uncle Alistair."

"Well, you never know - perhaps I will make a few business acquaintances in town and find a gentleman who is suitable for my little girl," Raymond said, squeezing Anastasia's hands before letting go. "Come, let us unpack the rest of our things from the carriage, and hopefully we'll have everything set up before sundown."

Anastasia agreed, following her father back outside to help him unload the carriage. The truth was that she had been thinking a lot lately about who she would eventually marry. Since Carla had passed away, Anastasia knew that an advantageous marriage to a well-to-do businessman could greatly help her father out and give him a well-deserved respite regarding his financial situation. While a large part of her would prefer to marry for love, realistically she knew that rarely happened. She loved her father dearly, and nothing would make her happier than to ease his burden, if just a little.

Anastasia sighed to herself as she helped her father carry all their things into their new home, wondering not for the first time what this new life of theirs would entail.

* * *

 **A/N: So… I know this is a bit different than what I normally write, but since I've loved reading Jane Austen books since I was like 13, I thought I'd take a stab at a little period romance for CG and Ana. (Rest assured, this story will have some more explicit themes in it than what you'd read in a Jane Austen book lol)**

 **Do you like this type of story? Do you not? Let me know and leave a review :)**

 **I also have a new Pinterest board for this fic! You can follow it at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	2. A Walk in Town Square

**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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 **Chapter 2: A Walk in Town Square**

For the next few days, Raymond and Anastasia worked busily at unpacking all of their things in the upstairs flat as well as in their shop underneath, trying to get everything in order before their shoe store's grand opening. Raymond had brought most of his tools and measuring equipment with him when they moved, but he still needed the necessary supply of wood, rubber, leather, and tanning oils for the shoes he'd make, which he would have to purchase from the vendors in town. Fortunately, many of their neighbors were very friendly, and they welcomed the Steele's to their little town by recommending which people would be the best to purchase their wares from.

Anastasia had to run errands quite a bit over the next few days too, stocking up on food, linens and other supplies for her and her father to live off of. While out and about, she would meet some of the other young people in town, and she enjoyed spending a little time in the company of her new peers. One friend she made was Leila, the local barmaid at a pub called _The Glasgow_ , and she suggested Anastasia come to the pub some evening where she could introduce her to all the other ladies in town. There were also the two butcher's sons, Bill and Paul Clayton, who were both kind fellows who always engaged her in lively conversation and offered her the best cuts of beef or pork.

The weekend finally came around, and the weather was still very temperate, so Raymond finally decided he and Anastasia needed to take a small respite from all the hard work they had been doing this whole week:

"Come, Anastasia - we've been doing nothing but work for days on end," Raymond said, walking up to his daughter who was organizing the leather pelts hanging on the wall for the third time in a row. "We ought to get some fresh air - perhaps go for a walk in the park at the center of town. What do you say?"

"We are meant open the shop next week, Father," Anastasia said worriedly, glancing over all the shoemaking equipment lying haphazardly around her. "We still have so much to do before then - we do not have time to take a break."

"We can take the next hour or two for a walk, my dear - it won't be the end of us to stretch our legs a bit," Raymond said fairly. "Come now - grab your cloak and we'll go down to the park. We may even see your Uncle Alistair again while we are out, since he often goes for constitutionals on the weekends in that area."

Alistair, Carla's brother and Anastasia's uncle, was a sweet older gentleman who had retired from his previous job as a carpenter, and was going to help Raymond and Anastasia run the shoe shop for the next few months or so. Anastasia finally smiled slightly, knowing her father was going to strong-arm her until she agreed to go.

"Well alright, then," she sighed reluctantly, hanging up the last leather pelt before going to grab her things for their walk.

* * *

Since it was a Saturday and the weather was so mild, town square was bustling with activity today. Shops, carts and kiosks were open all along the streets, while the grassy park in the center of town had many young children running around and playing gleefully. Anastasia couldn't help but smile widely as she held onto her father's elbow and walked through the crowds of people, gazing around her in keen interest.

"Alistair," Raymond said jovially, and Anastasia looked over to see a tall, strapping older man with sandy blonde hair and glasses perched upon his nose walk toward them. "Good to see you again, my old friend."

"Raymond - Anastasia," Alistair greeted them with a happy smile, shaking Raymond's hand and kissing Anastasia on the cheek. "It is so wonderful to see you two again. How has the move been coming along?"

"It's been wonderful. We've almost finished, but I felt that Anastasia and I could take a break for a couple hours and see the sights of the town."

Raymond and Alistair continued to talk animatedly with one another, and the three of them kept walking through the town square together, Anastasia gazing around at her surroundings. Truth be told, she hadn't been too sure how much she would like living in this place, since it was so different from the little country home she and her father lived in with Carla her whole life. However, this place was turning out to be a wonderful community filled with kind and generous people, and Anastasia was looking forward to what her life would entail in this new place.

Suddenly, there seemed to be a great commotion which took over the crowd of people, and everyone began talking excitedly to their neighbors, turning to look down the main road as if expecting something to happen.

"Father, Uncle - is something happening?" Anastasia frowned, stopping in her tracks and gazing down the road as well.

"It appears as if a horse-drawn carriage is coming," Raymond said, gazing off in the same direction as his daughter. "My, it looks like a golden stagecoach!"

"Aye, it must be the royal family," Alistair said, sounding delighted at the prospect. "Every once in awhile, the Grey's will come riding into town for a quick visit with the regular folk. It must be the mild weather which has drawn them out today."

Anastasia watched as the people around them moved out of the street, preparing for when the carriage would pull up. She followed Raymond and Alistair to the side of the road, watching expectantly for the stagecoach.

"There it is," Alistair pointed out the beautiful, opulent black and gold-trimmed, two-manned horse-drawn carriage which made its way slowly up the road. The carriage was still pretty far away, and it was covered, meaning Anastasia didn't have a clear view of the people inside.

"Oy, it's the Princess!" someone in the crowd exclaimed joyfully, and everyone around them cheered. People who were closest to the carriage waved excitedly to the person inside, and some even tried to reach forward and touch it. As it slowly got closer, Anastasia could just make out a beautifully-dressed adolescent girl leaning out of the window, smiling widely and waving at all the people.

"Is that the princess?" Anastasia asked her Uncle Alistair, still staring at the stagecoach.

"Aye, that is Amelia Grey - the youngest of the Grey children," Alistair explained. "She comes into town more than any of the other members of the Grey family - she's very lively and spirited, as you can likely tell."

Anastasia watched as the stagecoach slowly made its way down the main road, and she was finally able to see her: Princess Amelia looked hardly older than thirteen or fourteen, but she was already an exceptionally beautiful young woman. She wore her shiny dark hair in a knot at the back of her head, and she had on a gorgeous light blue gown made of taffeta and chenille, her long white gloves comprised of the softest silk. Amelia beamed and waved at the crowds of people congregating near the road, and Anastasia couldn't help but smile and wave back.

The carriage passed, and Anastasia was able to get a glimpse inside through the window. She noticed the gold-trimmed interior and red velvet seating cushions, but most surprisingly of all she saw another person inside the carriage with Amelia, sitting a bit further back from the window and almost out of view.

He was a young man, no older than Anastasia, with dark reddish-brown hair and clear gray eyes which seemed cunning and sharp as he looked out the window. His eyes met Anastasia's gaze, and she peered back at him, struck by how handsome he was - she didn't know who that man was, but something about him kept her frozen to the spot, unable to look away. For some reason he was looking out at her too, as if he was just as mesmerized as she was. They continued to stare at each other as the stagecoach slowly passed by and eventually drove away, crowds of people still waving cheerfully at the princess.

"My, the young princess is truly growing up to be a beautiful young woman," Alistair smiled, watching the stagecoach moving its way down the road. "I can remember like yesterday when the King was announcing her birth to the entire town!"

"It wasn't too long ago when you were but that age, Annie," Raymond said affectionately to his daughter, squeezing her hand. "If only you too could have been a princess, waving to all her subjects as she rides along in a golden chariot!"

Alistair laughed, and Anastasia could only smile. Her mind was still consumed with the man she had seen inside the carriage. "Yes, she did look very beautiful. I wonder, though - who was the other person inside the carriage with her?"

"Hm, I don't believe I saw anyone else in the carriage," Raymond said, frowning slightly.

"It looked like a young man, with reddish-brown hair."

"Ah, that must have been Prince Christian - Amelia's elder brother," Alistair nodded in understanding. "I wonder why he didn't wave to all the townspeople like his sister did?"

"Perhaps he is shy," Raymond suggested. In the distance, they could see the carriage turn off the main road and continue down another street, out of sight from them.

Many of the people around them resumed what they were doing before the carriage came through, though now they talked excitedly amongst one another about what they just saw. Alistair, Raymond and Anastasia continued to walk around the town square, but Anastasia's mind couldn't help but stay with the carriage… namely, on the Prince.

He was, without question, the handsomest man she had ever laid eyes on.

* * *

Christian sat back in a daze as the carriage continued to drive down the main street and turn off onto another road. Amelia seemed oblivious to his distraction, yet his mind was practically reeling from that town girl he had glimpsed as they passed through the square. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on - she was obviously a commoner as shown by her dress, but her long chestnut brown locks, her delicate rose-colored lips, and her clear ocean-blue eyes made her as stunning as a goddess. She was positively breathtaking, and for several wonderful moments which seemed to stretch out for an eternity, she had looked right at him, holding his gaze while staring straight into the very recesses of his soul.

His heart raced.

"This was so much fun, Christian!" Amelia said happily, waving at the last few townsfolk as the carriage began making its trek back toward Grey Castle. She sat back down in her cushioned seat, smiling widely as she straightened out her dress. "I'm very happy you agreed to come with me on this little outing - however, I thought you could have been a bit friendlier to all the people. They really it when we wave to all of them."

"They enjoy it when _you_ wave to them, Mia, and you ought to be a bit more careful out in the real world," Christian chided his sister. "Regardless of how the townspeople feel about you, there are also a great many thieves and rogues who wish to do harm to you and our family. I only agreed to come on this outing with you to be your guardian in case something bad happened."

"And I thank you dear brother - I understand there is much danger afoot in the public square of a small town at high noon," Amelia teased, and Christian couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not completely clueless, Christian - I am perfectly aware of all the security we all have around us every day, but that does not mean we cannot be friendly to the people we govern, does it?"

"I suppose not," Christian conceded, turning to look back out the window. His mind went back to that beautiful girl he glimpsed back in town square, and he closed his eyes, trying to commit to memory the contours of her face, the curve of her lips, and the expression of her blue almond-shaped eyes. He often saw a great many people in town when he went on these carriage rides, but he definitely hadn't seen that girl there before. He would have remembered her, without question.

The carriage now made its way out of town and began heading back toward Grey Castle, and Christian couldn't help the feeling of elation spread through his body. Despite his earlier reservations, he was honestly glad he agreed to go into town with his sister.

He smiled to himself, the beautiful blue-eyed girl still consuming his every thought.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this one was a bit short, but I hope you all enjoyed it anyway! If you did, please review :)**

 **Make sure you check out the new pics of this chapter on my Pinterest board at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	3. Beautiful Girl

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Beautiful Girl**

For the rest of the afternoon back at Grey Castle, Christian went about his normal daily routine, but he couldn't help but feel a bit distracted as he did so. The memory of that beautiful girl continued to haunt his every thought, pervading his mind and hindering his senses - never in all his life could he remember having felt this way about another person after only getting a brief glimpse of them. Just one look at her out of a carriage window and he found himself fantasizing about her every feature - her looks, her hair, her gorgeous rose-colored lips…

 _Good Lord, what is the matter with me?_

Surely Christian was going insane - how could just one girl cause his head to be thrown into such a whirlwind? And the girl in question wasn't even one of the duchesses or princesses he always associated himself with… she was just a commoner! Being a part of the royal family meant that Christian wasn't permitted to interact with people who were of a lower class; instead, he had to spend time with other members of royalty or foreign dignitaries, and none of those upper class girls had ever stirred his blood like that girl back in town had.

 _Who is she though?_

That thought nagged at Christian for the rest of the afternoon and evening. He was so used to having information readily available at his fingertips, and yet he didn't have a clue who that girl was, and he would likely never know. It was a distracting thought, and his distraction carried its way through dinner that night with his family.

"Christian, darling, is everything alright?" Queen Grace asked her son at the dinner table that evening. She, King Carrick, all of the Grey children, Isabel and Jonathan were seated along the large dining room table in the north wing. Grace sat all the way at the head of the table, and Christian glanced up at her, a bit surprised she was able to tell he was distracted when he was sitting so far away.

"I'm fine, Mother," Christian said, looking back down at his barely-touched roast beef and boiled potatoes. "I guess I'm just not that hungry tonight."

"I see," Grace said, frowning slightly before cutting into her own meat. "I hope you are not getting ill?"

Christian shrugged.

"Perhaps we should call in the apothecary," Carrick suggested.

"Or perhaps Doctor Jenkins could come in and put _leeches_ all over him!" Elliot turned to his son beside him and began tickling him all over. Jonathan giggled madly, squirming to get away from his father.

"Elliot!" Amelia giggled at her goofball brother. "Don't speak of such things! Just the thought of leeches on my skin makes me positively shudder."

"No one is bringing in leeches," Grace said firmly. "I seriously doubt Christian feels so ill that we're going to have to resort to those measures."

Christian, tired of the others talking about him like he wasn't there, stood up from the table. "May I please be excused? I'm just feeling a bit tired - I think I'll just be going to bed early."

"Of course, darling," Grace nodded, looking at him a bit worriedly. "If you need me or your father for anything, just send word with one of the guards, alright?"

"Yes, Mother," Christian nodded before stepping away from the table and heading down the hallway toward his bedroom.

Through the west-facing windows, Christian could see the sun setting on the horizon. Once he was alone, he stopped by one of the windows and leaned against the stone balustrade, gazing toward the town in the distance.

That beautiful mystery girl still plagued his mind, distracting him from his everyday routine and causing his mind to spin in circles. Not knowing her identity was going to eat away at him, and he needed to find some sort of relief from this torture. He knew he needed to find out who she was… but how would he go about doing that? Perhaps he could ride the carriage back into town tomorrow in the hopes of glimpsing her through the window again? He honestly didn't like the idea of that, though - it drew far too much attention to himself, and at best he would only see that girl again without learning anything more about her.

A crazy thought suddenly entered Christian's head - perhaps he could sneak into town disguised as a commoner? That wouldn't be entirely implausible… he could smuggle some of the servants' clothing and then sneak out of his bedroom window, ducking out through the hedge near the west end of the castle. He could just walk into town square and look around for a bit, just like any of the other people who lived there...

But no, he couldn't do that. It was absurd - Christian frowned to himself as he thought about it. Surely the townspeople would instantly recognize him as the Prince? Perhaps not though… Christian and his family had scarcely shown their faces outside the castle (except Amelia of course, when she went on her carriage rides). With a good disguise, Christian felt he would definitely be able to sneak into town undetected, at least for a little while.

Feeling a boldness and excitement he had never felt before in his life, Christian grinned to himself before turning around to head up to his room. He had some planning to do.

* * *

 **The next morning**

Carrick and Grace had been working for months on signing a treaty with the Duke of Carlisle, their conjoined efforts hoping to bring in more trade with the other European provinces to promote peace throughout their countries. It required many months of hard work and careful negotiations, very little of which could be done by courier. The Duke of Carlisle had sent an urgent letter to Grey Castle early that morning, stating that the negotiations needed to be finished as soon as possible since some of the surrounding provinces were on the brink of war. The King and Queen had to leave the castle at once in order to deal with this.

"Your brother is going to be overseeing the castle while we are away," Carrick said to Christian as the servants packed the carriage with their luggage near the front doors early that morning. "Any and all decisions go through him - you and Amelia need to listen to him while we are gone, alright?"

"Yes, Father," Christian said obediently. "Have a good trip."

"Thank you, son," Carrick smiled. Grace now walked out of the front doors toward them, ready to go with her husband in the stagecoach. "We should not be gone for more than a few days, hopefully. You're feeling better from last night?"

"Yes, I'm alright," Christian nodded. "I think I was just tired from the day's activities."

"I am glad to hear it," Carrick smiled. "We will see you in a few days, then."

After hugging his mother and father goodbye, Christian watched as they got into the stagecoach with all of their luggage and drove away, their carriage followed by the usual cavalcade of guardsmen and soldiers riding horses with their sabers drawn.

Once they were gone, Christian turned and hurried back into the castle, finding Sir Taylor standing near the front door in his usual post.

"Taylor, have you seen my brother at all today?" Christian asked.

"Prince Elliot and Lady Isabel are currently in a meeting with the other guardsmen," Taylor responded.

"And Amelia?"

"Watching over her nephew, Prince Jonathan."

Christian nodded, satisfied. "Alright. I'm going to head over to my chambers to lie down for a bit. I still feel a bit weary from yesterday, and I likely won't come down for any meals today. I'll call you or one of the guardsmen if I need anything, but unless I do, I don't want to be disturbed. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Christian turned and headed down the corridor toward his room, feeling excitement building inside of his as he began to put his plan in motion.

* * *

Christian opened his bedroom window on the second floor and he stepped out onto the balcony. With nimble feet, he hopped over the stone banister and stepped out onto the ledge, edging his way along it before easing his way down and landing softly on the grass below. Glancing around for anyone who may have seen him, he turned and hurried across the grounds toward the west end of the property, where he knew he could get out undetected.

Christian had abandoned his usual fine-tailored coat and breeches and now wore a brown coat with a dark shirt and a scrappy-looking cravat. His breeches and boots were old and worn too - it was the only outfit down in the servant's quarters he found that fit him well. He even included a flat-brimmed hat to cover his head with, hoping to God this disguise would help him blend in with the townspeople.

He walked the entire distance into town, making sure to keep his head down so people passing by on the road wouldn't look at him. Once in town, he walked through the streets where the carriage had gone yesterday, his heart pounding in his chest as pedestrians around him walked this way and that all around him, barely sparing him a look. Nobody seemed to recognize him as the Prince, and it was the oddest, most freeing feeling he'd ever had in his life.

Christian smiled to himself, gazing around at everything like he was seeing it for the very first time. Men and women passing by gave him polite smiles, and Christian smiled back at them, still marveling at the fact nobody recognized him - he walked in the direction of the marketplace, almost forgetting the true reason why he had come into town in the first place.

He walked past the many carts and vendors along the street, gazing around in wonder at all the sights around him. He suddenly felt a zing shoot through his body, and he turned around, his heart stuttering in his chest as he finally laid eyes on her.

 _The girl_.

She was walking around the marketplace by herself, wearing a simple cream-colored gown which served to emphasize her natural beauty. Her chestnut brown hair was up in a delicate lace coif, and she had a basket of fruit and vegetables tucked into her elbow as she shopped. She walked slowly through the market, idly examining the selections of food on each of the stands while being completely unaware of Christian admiring her from afar.

He couldn't believe his luck - the girl he had been thinking about all day and night was right here, standing before him! He suddenly felt extremely nervous… should he go up and talk to her? That hardly seemed like the polite thing to do, but at the same time, he had already come this far.

 _I just want to know her name._

Feeling the familiar boldness and excitement flowing through his body, Christian walked forward, his heart beating a tattoo against his chest.

He heard her conversing with one of the vendors who was selling bushels of apples from a cart: "...Why are these apples six shillings for a basket? Last week they were only three," she was saying to the old man behind the cart.

"Bad squalls up north have flooded all the orchards," the old man said gruffly. "These apples have been in short supply as of late. Six shillings."

The girl looked a bit sad as she placed the apple in her hand back in the basket. "I don't have enough. Sorry."

She turned to leave, and Christian quickly stepped forward. "I can pay for those."

The girl looked at him in surprise, and before she could protest his chivalrous offer, he had already taken out his money bag and paid the man six shillings. The man then handed him a small burlap sack of red apples.

Christian turned to the girl, who still looked a bit stunned by what he had done. She blinked before looking up at him. "Thank you kind Sir, but you really didn't have to do that."

"I was quite happy to do it, Miss," Christian responded sincerely, noting how beautiful and sweet the sound of her voice was to his ears. "You needed apples, and I wanted to purchase them for you. It was the polite thing to do."

The girl smiled up at him, Christian felt his heart pounding loudly in his chest. "Well, that is very gentlemanly of you sir, but at least let me pay you for half of this bag since three shillings is about what I have left for my shopping money."

"Keep your shillings. I insist," Christian said firmly. "I have more money than I know what to do with."

The girl gave him a reluctant smile. "Well, I thank you once again, Sir, though now I feel like I am in your debt."

"Enough with the 'Sir.' Please, call me Chris," Christian insisted, opting not to tell her his full name in case she recognized him. "And you owe me nothing, Miss."

"Well then, you can call me Anastasia," the girl offered, smiling sweetly up at him, and Christian felt like he was in heaven. "And I do feel like I owe you something… perhaps I could bake you my famous apple pie sometime?"

"I think that sounds like perfectly sufficient payment," Christian grinned, and the two of them began walking down the street, Christian still carrying the bag of apples for her.

"I can bring it over to you sometime, Chris. Where do you live?"

Christian hesitated, trying to quickly think of something to tell her. "I am from out of town, unfortunately. But perhaps I could come back to visit you again?"

"I would like that," Anastasia smiled up at him. Christian smiled back at her, and for a moment the two of them simply gazed at each other, as if they were both enraptured by the other. Anastasia's expression seemed to become more scrutinizing as she took in his features.

"You look rather familiar to me, Chris. Have we met before?" she asked curiously.

"I doubt it. I certainly would have remembered meeting someone like you," Christian said smoothly, and was pleased to see Anastasia blush at his words.

"I can tell your charms are as deep as your pockets, sir," Anastasia smirked at him, and Christian chuckled. "I shall remember that in the future."

"Be sure you do."

"I have a question for you, though…" Anastasia said after a moment, and Christian looked at her a bit warily. She had a shrewd expression on her beautiful face which made Christian wonder if she had figured out he was the Prince and that he was lying to her about his identity.

She suddenly gave him a smile, her blue eyes sparkling. "Are you doing anything later this evening, Chris?"

* * *

 **A/N: Next chapter - more Anastasia and "Chris" ;)**

 **Please review! And be sure to see new pics of this chapter on my Pinterest board at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	4. A Night of Revelry

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: A Night of Revelry**

"Are you doing anything later this evening, Chris?"

Christian could only stare at Anastasia, unsure if he heard her correctly. Was she asking what he thought she was asking? "I… erm…" he stammered.

Anastasia gazed at him for a second before suddenly smiling, letting out a giggle that sounded like music to Christian's ears. "I know what you are thinking, and I assure you that is not what I ask. I simply want to know if you are available this evening to come down to the pub right off of Main Street? Some of us are going to get together for a few drinks and perhaps a bit of dancing."

"Oh," Christian said, a grin forming on his face at the thought. Spending more time with Anastasia was definitely something he would consider doing, but he knew he had to be careful. Being in a crowded pub with a lot of people would increase the chances of him being recognized. His smile faded. "I would love to, Anastasia, but I am afraid I don't really know anybody in town as of yet. I don't quite know if I would fit in."

"Well, that would make two of us," Anastasia said, smiling rather sadly. They walked together down the street, though Christian had no idea where they were going. "My father and I just moved into town about a week ago, so we hardly know anybody. We have some family in the area, but apart from them, we really are quite alone here. It was very kind of Leila to invite me to her pub tonight, though I'm afraid I will have nobody to talk to."

"Well, I suppose I ought to come in order to save you from the agony of loneliness," Christian smirked, and Anastasia giggled again. She stopped in front of a shoe shop, and through the window Christian could see an older gentleman hammering at something on a workbench.

"This is my home," Anastasia said, glancing at the shop before turning back to Christian. "Thank you for purchasing the apples for me, Chris. I truly do appreciate it."

"You are most welcome, Anastasia," Christian smiled at her, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. He handed over the sack of apples, and felt a tingle when her hand made contact with his. "I shall see you tonight… what is the pub we are meeting at, perchance?"

" _The Glasgow_ on Main Street. Everyone will be meeting after sundown," Anastasia smiled at him. "I'll see you then?"

"See you then."

Christian watched her turn around and head into the shop with all her groceries, greeting the man at the workbench who was presumably her father. Not wanting to be caught staring, Christian tore himself away from the window and began to head back up the road toward the castle, feeling like he was floating.

Christian could hardly believe his luck - not only had he been able to see the beautiful mystery girl he had been fantasizing about all day, but he was able to talk to her, learn her name, and even managed to get a date with her later this evening! God must surely be smiling down upon him to have given him such a tremendous blessing.

Unable to keep the smile from his face, Christian made his way back to the castle, eagerly anticipating his date with Anastasia later that evening.

* * *

Christian had climbed up to his bedroom window in the same manner of how he had escaped, and he realized that it was nearly midday, meaning he had to go down to meet his siblings for lunch very soon. He quickly changed out of his peasant disguise and put on his normal princely garb, ensuring no hair was out of place. He then hurried downstairs into the mess hall to have lunch with his siblings, nephew, and sister-in-law, none of whom seemed to realize anything was amiss with him. Christian felt utterly relieved, though that didn't stop his heart from pounding loudly in his ears at the idea that he had deceived them all, at least for now.

As the day progressed, however, Christian's initial euphoria at the idea of seeing Anastasia again tonight had begun to turn into worry and trepidation. He had been concerned about being recognized as the prince when going into town this morning, and now he was going to a social gathering at a bar where he would likely have to hold conversations with other people, talking with them face-to-face. He couldn't maintain the facade for a whole evening of that, could he?

He thought of seeing Anastasia again, however, which caused his worry to vanish while his determination grew. He had a real chance of spending more time with the most beautiful girl he'd ever known, and by God he was going to take advantage of it. It occurred to him that he would probably have to tell her who he truly was at some point in the future, but for right now he was enjoying being someone else. Someone who wasn't remarkable in any way.

The rest of the day passed by normally enough, and pretty soon it was time for dinner, Christian very aware of the fact he was going to be meeting Anastasia in a short while. Throughout the meal he kept glancing out the window toward the dusky sky, nervously watching the sun sink lower along the horizon.

"What is wrong with you today, Christian?" Amelia asked her brother, frowning up at him over her bowl of soup. "Do you not like the lamb bisque?"

Christian looked over at her, and noticed the others also gazing at him. "Er… no, not really," he said, getting to his feet. "Sorry. I mean, it-it's fine… I guess I'm just not feeling very hungry tonight. I think I'm going to go to bed early - please don't wait up for me."

With that, he turned around and headed down the corridor toward his bedroom, leaving his siblings looking utterly confused by his behavior.

Once inside his room, Christian hastily took off his dinner clothes and changed back into the servant's garb he had donned earlier, including the hat to cover his copper-colored hair. He knew wearing it indoors would look a bit conspicuous, especially since it was nighttime, but it was the one way he could ensure nobody would recognize him at the pub.

Giving himself one last glance in the looking glass to ensure he appeared decent, Christian headed over to his balcony, ready to go back into town to see the girl of his dreams once again.

* * *

Christian made it to the main part of town just as night had fallen, and he was able to find the pub rather easily - it was on Main Street just like Anastasia had said, and that part of town was the busiest tonight, with revelers and party-goers bandying about, talking and laughing with one another. Many of the people Christian passed by had bottles of ale in their hands.

Christian walked to the entrance of the pub, distinctly hearing the sounds of fiddles and harmonicas playing from inside, creating an upbeat happy melody in addition to the sounds of drunken cheering coming from inside. With feelings of excitement and trepidation in his chest, Christian made his way inside the pub.

The whole place was packed; men and women, both young and old filled the entire space, and yet the mood was very lively and fun. The band Christian had heard from outside played in the far corner, and many of the more inebriated patrons had struck up a jig in the center of the room, causing people to laugh and clap along.

Christian had never been to party like this - pretty much all of his social engagements he'd had as a prince had consisted of royal dinners and formal meetings with dignitaries. Sometimes birthdays and holidays with his family got a bit carefree sometimes, but never anything like this. Christian could only gaze around him in awe and delight.

"Chris!"

Christian turned to his left and smiled widely when he saw Anastasia sitting at a scrubbed wooden table in the corner. She was wearing the same cream-colored dress from earlier, but she had taken off her coif to reveal her chestnut-colored hair underneath, shining under the dim firelight of the pub.

Christian walked forward, feeling his heart pounding. "Hi," he greeted.

"I'm so happy you've made it," she beamed at him. He noticed a pint of ale in front of her, and next to her stood a brunette woman with a dark green frock that revealed her cleavage a bit. She was quite pretty, though not nearly as stunning as Anastasia.

"Chris, this is Leila, the barmaid here at _The Glasgow_ ," Anastasia introduced him to the woman as soon as he sat down. "Leila, this is my friend Chris."

"Pleasure to meet you, love," Leila smiled, fluttering her eyelashes as she held out her hand for Christian to take. "What are you drinking? Everything's on the house."

"I'll have what Anastasia's having. Thank you," Christian nodded and smiled at Leila before turning back to Anastasia. Leila lingered for a moment or two before reluctantly turning and heading over to the bar to fetch Christian's drink.

"I am quite relieved you've come, Chris," Anastasia smiled at Christian, her blue eyes seeming to light up brighter than the firelight around them. "I was afraid I would have to spend an entire evening by myself in this crowded room of drunken revelers."

"Well, I am quite happy to spend it with you, Anastasia," Christian smiled at her, and Leila reappeared with his pint of ale. He had never had ale from a pub before - he examined the glass for a moment before hesitantly bringing it up to his lips, taking a tentative sip. It was quite good.

"I have never been to this place before," Anastasia noted, gazing around her in interest as she took another sip of her ale. "It is much livelier than I expected."

"Is that a bad thing?"

Anastasia shook her head, smiling. "On the contrary. I find having a night like this, even just once in awhile, can be quite cathartic."

"Although in excess it can be quite the opposite," Christian stated, glancing over at some of the more drunken patrons, who were trying to get up on one of the tables to dance. Anastasia giggled.

"Do not worry, I am not planning for our evening to get quite that fun - I would like to have a clear head for when I spend time with you."

"As would I. But even without the assistance of ale, I feel like my head has been spinning since the moment I met you."

Anastasia blinked in surprise at his remark, and he detected the hint of a blush dusting her fair cheeks as she took another sip from her drink. Christian only grinned as he brought his glass of ale back up to his lips.

* * *

Christian spent a majority of the evening in conversation with Anastasia, talking about everything and nothing at all. Leila popped over every once in awhile when she wasn't dealing with overly-drunken patrons to talk to the two of them. Christian wasn't so blind as to not notice that Leila had a keen interest in getting to know him better, something he tried to make clear he wasn't interested in since it obviously made Anastasia uncomfortable. Some other people also came over to their table, mostly other townspeople who knew Anastasia in one way or another. Everyone was very friendly and kind, and Christian was having a great time talking with everyone.

Despite how rowdy this pub seemed to get as the night progressed, Christian was having a wonderful time. Never in his life had he been a party like this - was this how the townspeople always spent their evenings? He was on his second pint of ale at this point, and he was finding everything around him, including Anastasia, to be incredibly interesting.

"Oh this is simply _wonderful_ , isn't it?" Anastasia said before taking a long gulp of her ale and setting it back down on the wooden table with a heavy thunk. "Come on."

She got up out of her seat and grasped Christian's arm, trying to drag him out of his own chair. "What are you doing?" he laughed, getting up.

"I want to dance," she grinned, nodding toward the center of the room. A large group of people had gathered and were lining up for a country dance.

"Oh, er… I don't think -" Christian stammered as Anastasia dragged him through the crowd toward the center of the pub. He had never done a country dance like this before. All the previous dances he'd attended had been with other royal dignitaries and were very elegant and formal - quite the opposite of what this was sure to be.

Anastasia ignored his protests as she let go of his arm and lined up with the other women, and Christian had no choice but to line up across from her with the other men, facing one another. Almost immediately, the band had struck up a lively melody, and everyone began to dance - it was one Christian had never heard before, but it was simple and easy to follow along to, and it quickly became apparent nobody cared if they got the steps right. Christian focused on Anastasia, the way her blue eyes lit up and her cheeks flushed with happiness as she danced with him… he didn't know if it was the cheerful atmosphere around them or the fact that he was dancing with the girl of his dreams, but this was easily the most fun he'd had in a very long time.

The dance ended, and everyone clapped and cheered as all the dancers bowed and curtsied. The crowd began to move around them, forcing Anastasia and Christian closer together - Anastasia was practically pushed into Christian's chest, and Christian grasped her by the elbows, steadying her.

"I think we've had enough revelry for the night," Christian said to her, amused. "Perhaps I should walk you home right now?"

Anastasia nodded in agreement, and the two of them made their way through the crowded noisy pub toward the quietness of the outdoor street. Anastasia clutched onto his arm as they made their way toward where Christian remembered her house was, and they were silent for a minute or so as they walked into the night.

"Thank you for coming out to the pub with me tonight," Anastasia finally said, and Christian looked over at her. "I do hope you had at least a little fun."

"Honestly, that was the most fun I've had in a very long time," Christian smiled sincerely. "I never go to pubs like that one, but I think I may do it again some time."

"I will too. Though perhaps I'll drink a bit less ale next time," Anastasia blushed, bringing a hand to cover her face as if she were embarrassed. "Goodness, I am so sorry if I caused you much embarrassment back there. I was having so much fun, and I'd felt like my mind was in a cloud!"

"Ale has a tendency of doing that to you, as does revelrous company."

"Very true. But still, I ought to do better in the future to have a clearer head, especially when I'm in the company of a prince."

Christian stopped in his tracks, staring at Anastasia as if he were unsure of what she had just said. "What?"

Anastasia turned to look at him, her expression apologetic. "…I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I know that you're really Prince Christian Grey. I've known since our first conversation earlier today."

Christian said nothing for a moment or two. "I see."

"Don't worry, I haven't told anyone who you really are," she said, as if reading his mind. "And I don't believe anyone suspects anything. I only recognized you because... well..."

She trailed off, and Christian gazed at her curiously. "Because why?"

Anastasia blushed again, glancing down at her feet. "…I recognized your eyes. You looked at me out of Princess Amelia's carriage the other day, and I remember seeing you, and staring into your eyes. Your eyes are a very unique and distinct shade of gray, you know."

Christian couldn't help but smile - any worry he'd had of Anastasia knowing he was the prince had disappeared. She had known all along, and yet she hadn't said a word to anybody about him. She must be aware to some degree what his motivations were for coming into town in disguise, and that thought was deeply satisfying to Christian.

"You knew all along I was of royal blood, and yet you still thought it suitable to bring someone like me to a seedy little pub on a dark corner of town?"

Anastasia blinked before looking back up at him, taken aback. "'Seedy little pub'? You just told me how much fun you had there tonight!"

"True, but the place is hardly fit for a prince," Christian scoffed, though his eyes twinkled. He took a step forward, and Anastasia automatically took a step back.

"You mean a prince willing to dress like a lowly stable boy to sneak into town and meet with a commoner?" she shot back.

"Are you trying to insult me? You ought to feel honored to be in the presence of someone like me. Where are your manners?" Christian pretended to sound offended as he continued to walk forward, and Anastasia kept moving backwards.

"I suppose you believe all of us ill-mannered townspeople are quite the same, aren't we?" she quipped. Anastasia was now backed up against the wall of a nearby building, and Christian stood in front of her, his body now mere inches away from her.

"Quite the contrary," he murmured, slowly bringing a hand up to brush the side of her face with his knuckles, and Anastasia closed her eyes. He placed his other hand on her hip, his thumb tracing along the lace pattern of her dress. "I don't believe there is anyone who is quite like you, Anastasia. You are quite intriguing to me."

"I'm the daughter of a shoemaker," Anastasia whispered, blinking her big blue eyes up at him. "I'm nobody."

"No," Christian gently shook his head, his lips lowering toward hers as his hand went to her waist, pulling her closer. "You aren't to me."

He then kissed her; gently, at first, tasting the supple softness of her lips. She kissed him back in the same tentative manner, tasting him, teasing him slowly, but then a moment later she brought her hands up to grasp the sides of his head. Christian took the opportunity to open his mouth against hers, their kiss quickly escalating in passion as his tongue began dueling with hers, opening himself up to her even more. Anastasia let out a small whimper against his mouth, holding him close, and Christian felt as if his heart was going to burst inside of his chest.

In that moment, under the cover of darkness against the wall of a building, dressed in the clothes of a commoner, Christian knew beyond a doubt his heart would never belong to his betrothed.

It would always and forever be Anastasia's.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did, please leave a review :) Next chapter - one of our little lovebirds gets caught.**

 **Make sure to follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	5. Truth and Consequences

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Truth and Consequences**

Darkness had settled over all the land, bathing everything in utter blackness. Under the cover of night, Christian began to make his way down the road toward the castle, hoping and praying nobody had noticed he had been gone for hours. He had had the most wonderful evening, and his kiss with Anastasia only made it all the better - he felt like he could have spent the entire night kissing her underneath the moonlight, but he knew he had to be getting back to the castle and she needed to head back home to her father.

Christian couldn't help but grin to himself - never in his life had he experienced anything so wonderful or so exhilarating than when he had kissed Anastasia and she kissed him back. His heart began to pound in his chest as he thought about it - he had never kissed a girl like that before, not even Susanna. He and the Duchess had kissed a couple times out of courtesy, and even held hands on occasion, but never had he done with her what he'd just done with Anastasia tonight. He'd felt passion so deep and profound that his heart nearly burst from the feeling; her smile had lit up his world like the sun while her kiss ignited it once again.

 _She is absolutely perfect_

Never in his life had Christian felt this way about a girl before, and kissing Anastasia only seemed to solidify his feelings. He couldn't believe he had known about her existence for only thirty-six hours… it was almost like he had known from the moment he laid eyes on her that she was the one he was meant to be with.

Christian was falling hard for this girl, and he couldn't bring himself to stop. He was enjoying every moment of it.

The castle finally loomed closer, and Christian saw that some of the windows were still lit up from the fireplaces and torches along the corridors. He hurried over to the west part of the grounds and sneaked in through the hedges the same way he had gotten out - once he was in, he glanced around nervously to ensure none of the guardsmen saw him. He wasn't an intruder, obviously, but he knew he couldn't get caught hanging around outside past curfew, otherwise he would get in a lot of trouble. Plus the clothes he was wearing would just raise a lot of questions as to what he'd been doing, and he really did not want to explain himself.

Christian sneaked around to the part of the castle where his bedroom window was, and he was relieved to see none of the guards loitering anywhere nearby. Feeling his way through the dark, Christian hoisted himself up onto the ledge on the second story, and he gingerly stepped over onto his bedroom balcony, perching on the edge before bringing his feet up over it. There was no fire lit in his bedroom, therefore he couldn't see where he was going. He had to feel his way to the door leading inside.

"Hello, brother."

Christian gave a start, whipping around at the sound of Elliot's voice. There was a sudden flicker of light, and Christian saw a candle being lit, revealing Elliot sitting in a nearby chair while holding the candlestick. He was gazing at his little brother with a shrewd expression on his face, and Christian's heart pounded furiously in his chest.

"Elliot…" Christian breathed, rubbing his chest. "You scared the hell out of me! What are you playing at, sitting here alone in the dark?"

"I was looking for you," Elliot said, sounding uncharacteristically angry. He got up from his chair, glaring at Christian. "I'd wanted to see how you were feeling since you acted so strangely at dinner, and I thought you'd been ill or something. But when I knocked at you door, you didn't answer - I came in to see that nobody was here, and that your bedroom window was wide open."

Christian said nothing, simply gazing down at the floor in silence. He knew he had been caught breaking the rules, and there was nothing he could do or say in defense of himself.

"What the hell are you wearing?" Elliot walked closer to see Christian's outfit in the candlelight. "Were you masquerading as one of the groundskeepers?"

Christian didn't answer; he instead just walked past his brother toward his fireplace, kneeling down and gathering some of the logs and dry broomstraw to build a fire.

"Christian - just because Mother and Father are away doesn't mean it's alright for you to run around in the dead of night and do whatever fancies you," Elliot reprimanded him. Christian continued to just form his woodpile in the hearth, and Elliot walked over with his candle to light it on fire. In seconds, the room was filled with the warm glow of a cheerfully crackling fire, and Elliot blew out his candle.

"Please just talk to me, Christian," Elliot implored his brother when there was another silence between them. "I promise not to tell Mother and Father that you broke curfew if you'll just tell me where you were. What on earth you were thinking?"

Christian finally turned his glare over at Elliot. "I just went into town, alright?"

Elliot blinked, staring at his brother. "You went into town," he repeated, glancing back down at his outfit. "Dressed as a commoner?"

"Obviously," Christian said in a clipped voice. "I didn't want to be recognized. And I wasn't, so everything is fine."

"No, everything is not fine Christian," Elliot snapped, sounding like a disapproving parent. "How daft are you? Do you not know how dangerous it is to go out on your own at this time of night without being accompanied by at least one of the guardsmen? You know as well as I how important our family is, and how many horrible people out there wish to see us dead. You are not a fool, Christian, so stop acting like one - why would you do such a reckless thing?"

Christian felt himself starting to get angry. He was perfectly aware of the antics Elliot used to get up to in his youth. "I have my reasons - and you of all people would understand about one of us wanting to have a bit of fun once in awhile."

"That's different," Elliot said, suddenly defensive. "It was years ago when I used to sneak out of the castle at night, and I was young and stupid about it. I didn't realize the consequences of my actions, and my stupidity doesn't justify you doing it now."

"Fine - I was being stupid and I won't sneak out again," Christian said with finality, gesturing toward his bedroom door. "You can leave now."

Elliot didn't leave, however, and instead decided to change tack: "Was this why you were acting so strangely at dinner - because you were planning on sneaking out into town tonight? How often do you do this sort of thing anyway?"

"It was my first time," Christian said, bending the truth a bit.

Elliot was silent for a moment or two, regarding his brother with a frown on his face. "Who is she?" he suddenly asked.

Christian blinked, feeling his whole body break out in a cold sweat. "What? Who?"

"The girl you went out to see," Elliot insisted. "It's written all over your face - you've been acting odd these past couple days, you've hardly eaten anything at mealtimes, and now suddenly you're sneaking off into town in the dead of night dressed as a commoner? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've fallen in love with a town girl."

Christian was silent for a moment before letting out a sigh, annoyed that he had to admit the truth to his brother. "She's the daughter of a shoemaker," he said quietly, glancing down at his hands. "Anastasia."

Elliot didn't say anything for a moment. "Is she pretty?" he finally asked.

"Beautiful," Christian couldn't help but smile to himself. "The most exquisite creature I've ever laid eyes on."

Elliot chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I suppose I can't fault you for following your heart, little brother. However, it was still stupid and reckless of you to sneak out at night to see her - trust me, I know from experience."

"You sneaked out at night because you enjoyed breaking the rules," Christian countered. "What do you know about going into town to see a girl anyway?"

Elliot raised his eyebrows slightly. "You really believe Isabel was my first?" he asked skeptically.

Christian went silent, a bit stunned. "She wasn't?" he asked after a moment. Elliot shook his head

"I know all about sneaking into town at night to see a girl, Christian," he said seriously. "When I was seventeen, I met a beautiful young woman milking cows in the outskirts of town - her name was Katherine, and she was the daughter of a baker. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, and I wanted to spend as much time with her as I possibly could. Those nights I sneaked out of the castle was so that I could spend time with her - she was so sweet and wonderful, and I felt that I was head over heels in love with her."

Elliot walked over to sit on the edge of Christian's bed, his elbows perched on his knees, and Christian could only stare at his brother, shocked. He had had no idea this had happened to Elliot years ago.

"What happened with her?" he asked, moving to sit down across from Elliot in a nearby armchair.

"For a few weeks, she and I spent a lot of time together, and I enjoyed all the sneaking around," Elliot continued. "When I was with her, I no longer had to be around the guards or be confined behind the walls of the castle. With Katherine I actually felt free - something I had scarcely felt before, being the prince. I spent more and more time with her, and she and I eventually went to bed together… but our time was cut short, since her mother caught us in bed together the very next morning."

"Oh God," Christian groaned sympathetically.

"Yeah," Elliot grimaced. "She didn't realize I was the prince, fortunately, but it still wasn't pretty - she kicked me out of the house with nothing but my trousers on, and I had to run all the way back to the castle half-bare before the sun had even come up."

Christian couldn't help but snicker as he imagined his brother having to do that. "Sorry."

"It's alright - I deserved it," Elliot smirked as well. "Luckily no one saw me sneak my way back into the castle, and Mother and Father never found out about Katherine, thank God. Even after all of that, though, I still wanted to see her, despite the risks. I'd met up with her the following day in a secluded area, and she told me how angry her parents still were at her for sleeping with me. She told me she wanted to get away from them, and begged me to get her a servant position here at the castle."

"Really?" Christian raised his eyebrows in surprise, and Elliot nodded.

"I didn't think she was serious, but it turned out that she hated being the daughter of a baker, and she wanted to obtain a better life where she didn't have to work as much as she did under her father. She thought that living here in the castle with me would do that for her, and that's when I realized what her true intentions were. She was using me, and I was a fool for believing she actually loved me back.

"What she and I were doing was wrong - we were together for all the wrong reasons, and it was unhealthy for us to keep pursuing a relationship that was doomed to fail. She was angry at me, obviously, but I stood firm, and she eventually left. I haven't heard from her since, but from what I gathered her parents sent her away to Derbyshire to go live with her brother."

Christian was silent for several moments as he absorbed everything his brother just said. "Wow. I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Elliot."

"It ended up being for the best," Elliot grimaced. "I'd learned an important lesson about relationships, and I realized how stupidly reckless I had been bandying about around town with a commoner. I was the prince, the heir to our Father's throne, I couldn't afford to behave in such a stupid manner. It was an unnecessary risk to take, and I'd hate to see my little brother go down the same path I had."

Christian didn't say anything - his brother's story had rattled him quite a bit, but that didn't mean Anastasia would do to him what Katherine had done to his brother... did it? Christian understood how risky it was to go into town in disguise and spend his time consorting with a commoner, but with Anastasia he felt it was a risk worth taking. Was what he was doing with her really so wrong?

And Christian wasn't even the heir to their Father's throne - Elliot was. So what did it matter who Christian wanted to become involved with? It wasn't like he was married yet… but he then remembered his betrothed, and his heart sank to his stomach. He had almost forgotten about her, and now he didn't know what to do.

Christian's mind continued to spin with his inner turmoil, and Elliot moved forward to place his hand on his brother's shoulder. "I am not trying to be mean to you, brother - I just want what's best for you, and that is why I'm not going to tell Mother and Father about what you've been up to. I hope you'll think about what you've done and be more careful in the future."

Christian didn't know what to say to that, and just nodded. Elliot grimaced before squeezing his shoulder one last time and turning to head out of the bedroom.

Once alone, Christian looked out of the window toward the town, unable to see it through the darkness. He knew what his brother said made sense, but he doubted his heart would be able to bear it if he had to walk away from Anastasia - she was everything he could have ever wanted and more. Why did a stupid birthright have to change that?

His mind still swimming with conflicted thoughts, Christian walked over to his bed to turn in for the night, doubtful he would even get a wink of sleep.

* * *

 **A/N: So that was Kate and Elliot's story. She's not going to show up again in this fic (and since I know all of you are going to speculate this, she did NOT get pregnant with Elliot's love child)**

 **Hope you all enjoyed that! If you did, please leave a review :) Next chapter, we'll see Ana's thoughts about Christian.**

 **Make sure you follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	6. A Courtly Romance

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: A Courtly Romance**

Anastasia woke up bright and early the following morning, feeling lighter and happier than she had felt in years. Her first thought as she roused from her sleep was of Christian, and her heart seemed to practically leap out of her chest as she smiled to herself: never in her whole life had she felt this way about someone before, and the fact that he had kissed her last night made her whole body flush and tingle with delight. That had been her first real kiss, and although she had heard stories about how nice it felt to be kissed by a boy, the reality of it was far beyond anything she had ever expected. Christian's lips on hers had caused her whole body to sing, and his arms wrapped around her body made her feel utterly safe and warm. She didn't think she could forget last night for as long as she lived.

Humming a happy tune to herself, Anastasia began to get ready for the day - she changed into her usual cream-colored slip and petticoat with her hair pinned up into a respectable up-do, and while she normally wore a brown- or gray-colored dress suited for working in the shop, today she opted for a pretty light pink frock, liking how the color seemed to bring out the blush in her cheeks. This dress was one of the nicer garments she owned, and she didn't normally wear it unless on special occasions, but today she wanted her outfit to reflect her mood.

Anastasia smiled at her appearance in the looking glass before making her way out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen.

This new apartment was much smaller than the cottage she and her Father had previously lived in with Carla, but it was quite nice nonetheless. It consisted of two bedrooms, a kitchen with a large iron stove, and a living room with a fireplace. Anastasia and Raymond were almost done unpacking all of their things by now, but some crates and trunks still lay scattered around the place, half-filled with various odds and ends.

Anastasia walked into the kitchen to start on breakfast, and noticed her father already sitting at the scrubbed wooden table reading the newspaper. He looked up and smiled at his daughter.

"Good morning, darling," Raymond greeted her, glancing over her outfit. "My, you look very nice today. What is the occasion, pray tell?"

"I just felt like wearing pink today," Anastasia said with a smile, moving over to the cupboard and bringing out the large pot. There was some oats left for making oatmeal, and with it she would mix in the last of the peaches and cream still left in the icebox.

"Hmm, I see," Raymond said, smirking to himself as he turned the page in his newspaper. Anastasia rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she moved around the kitchen gathering ingredients.

"Well, I thought that since we're opening up the shoe shop tomorrow, I probably wouldn't get a chance to wear a dress like this while sitting at a workbench day in and day out," Anastasia went on, placing the large pot on the stove. "What time shall I be helping you tomorrow, then?"

"Your Uncle Alistair is coming by before sunrise to help me set up, so we likely won't need you until the shop opens to the public," Raymond said. "I promised you would not have to work too much, Anastasia, and I'll keep my word."

"I already told you I don't mind working," Anastasia said in a commiserating tone, now pouring the oats into the boiling water. "If it will help support the family, then I want to do everything I can to keep the shop open and running. I don't want us to have to worry about money anymore."

"You truly are a gem, Anastasia," Raymond said fondly, and she couldn't help but giggle. "The young man you'll marry will be truly blessed to have such a devoted, hard-working wife living alongside him."

Anastasia's mind cast back to last night, when Christian was kissing her so passionately under the moonlight, and her cheeks blushed pink at the memory.

"Thank you, Father," she said, stirring the oatmeal with a wooden spoon. "I don't believe I will have to worry about that for awhile though."

"Ah, so that pretty dress you're wearing isn't for one of your many beaus?" Raymond joked.

"Father!" Anastasia admonished with a giggle, feeling her face blush with embarrassment. She quickly turned back toward the pot of oatmeal to hide her flaming cheeks.

"I only tease, Annie," Raymond chuckled. "Obviously I'm not going to force you into marriage or anything. In fact, I hear that ladies-in-waiting often like to experience being lost in love with at least a couple young men before settling down into marriage."

"Ah, so I'm a 'lady-in-waiting' now?" Anastasia joked. "I didn't realize such regal monikers were given to lowly shop girls."

"They do when referring to my Princess," Raymond said proudly, and Anastasia giggled again. "The young gentleman who captures your heart needs to be a real prince, I'll tell you that much."

Anastasia struggled to hold back her smile at the irony of what her father said. "I shall keep that in mind, Father."

"I mean it, darling," Raymond said seriously after a moment, and Anastasia looked over at him. "Your heart is yours to give to whomever you please, but do try to be careful about who takes it. There are many young men out there in the world who just say sweet words to young ladies as a means to capture their hearts and throw them away once they're finished with them. Some boys' intentions are borne purely out of selfishness, and I would hate to see you get hurt due to you giving your heart to the wrong man. You are a very intelligent young woman, Anastasia, and I trust you will make a good decision of whom you wish to be with."

Anastasia didn't know what to say to that. Her father had rarely been this candid with her about relationships before: his words made her wonder about Christian, however. Would giving him her heart prove to be a big mistake? While she knew she had never felt this way about someone before, she had to concede she really did not know him all that well. And he was a prince, no less! More than likely, Christian had a whole harem of women at his disposal - what if she was just one of many of his conquests? What was it about her that made her so special anyway?

Many distressing thoughts swarmed Anastasia's head, and she chose not to say anything about it as she walked over to her father and placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning down and kissing him on his head. He reached for his shoulder and patted her hand affectionately.

"Breakfast shall be finished soon," she said with a light smile, squeezing his shoulder gently before walking back over to the stove.

"I'll put the kettle on and make some tea," Raymond said, setting down his newspaper and getting heavily out of his chair. "Alistair will be coming over in about an hour to help me finish setting up for tomorrow's opening. By the by, if you're running into town at all today, I may need you to pick up a few more leather pelts."

"I need to run to the market anyway, so I can stop by for the pelts on my way there," Anastasia nodded.

"Thank you, Annie," Raymond smiled.

Anastasia didn't answer as she ladled the oatmeal into two bowls, her mind continuing to dwell on Christian.

* * *

Alistair had come by the shop, and he and Raymond had begun getting everything ready for tomorrow. Anastasia decided to head out to the market at this time, grabbing her cloak, basket, and coin purse on her way out. It was a mild day today, with only a few clouds in the sky and a temperate climate, so the walk down to the market wouldn't be too bad. However, Anastasia's mind couldn't help but dwell upon Christian the whole way there, distracting her from the world around her.

The more she thought about what her father had said about boys breaking girls' hearts, the more she wondered if that was what Christian was going to do to her. While she hated having to doubt his affection for her, she had to concede that he was a prince after all, and a very handsome one at that - what if he did that to young ladies in town on a regular basis? What if he often sneaked into the market in disguise in order to woo unsuspecting young ladies… what if he had merely tricked Anastasia into thinking she was special to him, believing he could get away with it because she was new to town?

Anastasia thought back to their kiss last night, and she felt her heart break into a million pieces. Their connection had seemed so real, so natural, and so passionate… could it really have just been an act on his part? Was she really such a fool as to believe a man like Christian could ever find her beautiful?

The thought of Christian not reciprocating her feelings was incredibly depressing to Anastasia, and her mood had taken a significant downturn by the time she reached the market in the center of town. She stopped by the pelt shop for some leather just like her father had asked her, and once finished there, she began to make her way to the food stands, hoping to find some fresh beef and vegetables for a stew she wanted to make for dinner that night.

She wandered through the market, gazing around at the various selections of meat and trying to calculate the best cuts for what she could afford. Dozens of people were walking around the market too, haggling prices with the vendors, which meant Anastasia needed to hurry up and figure out what she needed before someone else took it.

She made her way along the carts, examining some of the selections of food there, and as she did so she heard a familiar voice talking nearby:

"…really think we ought to do that again soon, Charlotte. I drank so much ale I hardly remembered how the evening ended!"

There was bout of laughter from several young ladies, and Anastasia glanced up to see Leila standing several yards away, chatting amicably with a few other girls Anastasia recognized as those who also worked at _The Glasgow_. They were all shopping for some fabrics from a nearby textiles vendor, and while Anastasia wanted to go up and say hello, she didn't want to seem intrusive since Leila had not noticed her yet. She just continued to shop for her food as Leila and her friends continued to talk with one another.

"You know, Paul Clayton hardly left me alone all evening," the one named Charlotte giggled, now examining a blue embroidered piece of fabric. "I rather think he fancies me."

"That boy is a notorious flirt, Charlotte," Leila said dismissively. "Everybody knows it. And his older brother is the same way, if not even worse."

"Well, they are the two handsomest men in town, apart from the soldiers in the regiment," the third girl said fairly, examining a delicate piece of lace. "Who else are we supposed to set our sights upon?"

"Well… what about the gentleman who came in with that new girl?" Leila asked after a moment, and Anastasia lifted her head up slightly. "Chris?"

"Oh, yes - _Chris_ ," Charlotte grinned knowingly at her friend. "I could tell you really fancied him Leila."

"I must admit, he had a very attractive look about him," Leila said with a girlish giggle. "Quite regal and handsome. If not for his tattered jacket, I would think he would look like a royal duke or a dignitary."

The other girls giggled, and Anastasia had to bite back a smile as she continued to casually shop along the food carts.

 _She is not too far off on that one._

"No matter, though. It is probably all for naught, anyway," Leila said after a moment, sounding rather forlorn as she let out a sigh. "He was clearly infatuated with Anastasia... the reason for which is completely beyond me."

"I know," Charlotte rolled her eyes heavenward. "A girl like her should not be allowed to just come into town after a week and snag a handsome bloke before any of us can. She's hardly pretty enough for it."

"Well, a man like Chris could hardly be called _royalty_ if he spends his time with a girl like Anastasia," the third girl said, and the three ladies all laughed loudly at that.

Anastasia pressed her lips together, feeling rather hurt and embarrassed by what they said about her. While she understood their gossip was mostly borne out of churlishness and jealousy, she still had an overwhelming urge to come forward and announce to them that Chris was in fact Prince Christian Grey of Grey Castle. But she refrained, of course.

After their laughter died down, the three ladies continued to shop for fabric, chatting amicably amongst each other as they did so. After a moment or two, Charlotte spoke up again:

"…I think I remember a few years' back, Prince Elliot would sneak into town dressed as a commoner and rendezvous with the baker's daughter. Katherine, I believe?"

"Everyone knew about Katherine and Prince Elliot," Leila said dismissively. "She bragged about her association with him any chance she could. It was stupidly reckless of her to do, obviously, and I think the prince ended up leaving her for it. Why do you bring it up?"

"Well, it's just that Prince Elliot has a younger brother who just turned eighteen," Charlotte said, a note of coyness in her voice. "How do we know Prince Christian is not sneaking into town in disguise too in order to have a little fun?"

Leila and the other girl laughed at that, causing Anastasia to glance up at them curiously. "Oh Charlotte, that's too funny," Leila giggled.

"How so?" Charlotte asked, affronted.

"Because nobody ever sees Prince Christian," the third girl explained. "He rarely shows his face in town, even when there's a royal celebration. The man is practically a ghost - many of us actually believe that he is just very sickly, and the King and Queen try to hide him away in Grey Castle so they can protect him from the world."

"He certainly would not be the type to go bandying about around town like his brother did, I can tell you that much," Leila said definitively.

"Well, perhaps he just enjoys discretion," Charlotte protested.

"Even so, we would have heard about it," Leila countered. "All the ladies in town tell each other everything, therefore we would have heard something about Prince Christian having an affair with one of the townspeople. Honestly, though, I don't think it would ever happen - he would not leave the confines of Grey Castle even if God Himself came knocking at the door."

The girls all giggled, and continued to chat amongst themselves. Anastasia wasn't entirely sure what to think of what she had just heard, and quickly turned around to walk back the way she came before they noticed her.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed that chapter! If you did please leave a review :) Next chapter, someone new will be arriving at Grey Castle.**

 **My Pinterest is updated! Make sure you follow my board for this story at www pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	7. The Messenger

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: The Messenger**

Bright and early Monday morning, the announcement for King Carrick's and Queen Grace's return carried across all the land. Servants and guardsmen lined up along the drive leading up to the castle's front gates and doorway, and at the very end of the line were the three Grey children, standing in a row in front of the doors while wearing their most regal garb.

"Do you think they brought us anything from abroad?" Amelia eagerly asked Christian, who was standing beside her. They watched the royal carriage slowly approaching them along the winding drive.

"If they did, they wouldn't have gotten anything for you, Mia," Christian teased his sister, and nudged her playfully with his shoulder. She retaliated by shoving his arm away.

"Stop it, you two," Elliot hushed them both as the carriage finally pulled up along with the guardsmen.

Taylor moved forward to open the carriage door, and out stepped the king and queen… along with a third person.

"Uncle Jack!" Elliot greeted their uncle with a surprised smile, stepping forward and embracing the older man. "It's great to see you! I didn't know you were coming home with Mother and Father today."

"I ran into them back in Lambton," Jack chuckled good-naturedly, hugging Elliot back. "How are you, dear boy? I believe it's been near five years since I saw you last." He turned toward the other two. "And here is Christian and sweet Amelia! My, have you two grown so much."

Christian and Amelia both smiled at their uncle. While Jack Hyde was not technically a relative of theirs, he had been King Theodore Grey's ward back when Carrick was still a prince. Carrick and Jack had grown up together in the same castle, and since Carrick had only had sisters, Jack was the closest thing he'd ever had to a brother. Jack very rarely came by the castle, but when he did he often stayed for quite a long time.

"Christian," Jack pulled his nephew into a hug. "How are you, son?"

"I'm very well, Uncle Jack," Christian grinned, hugging him back.

"And my dear Amelia," Jack pulled away to smile lovingly at his niece. "You get more and more beautiful every time I see you."

Amelia merely smiled, and allowed Jack to take her hand and kiss the back of her knuckles.

"Come, Jack - it's nearly midday, and the cooks are making a feast for our return," Carrick said genially to Jack, clapping him on the shoulder. "Let's eat, and we can catch up on the latest of our work with the Duke of Cambridge."

Everybody began to move inside the castle, chatting amicably with each other, but Christian lagged behind them a bit. He hadn't expected his Uncle Jack to arrive with his parents, therefore he wasn't sure when he could politely slip away from everybody to do what he'd been planning all last night and this morning.

In his back pocket was a tightly-rolled scroll that Christian had spent the entire night working on, trying desperately to perfect. He had never been particularly keen on writing, but for this reason it was worth it - he had written a note for Anastasia, and he wanted to find a way to get it to her without the others in his family knowing about it.

"Christian," Carrick had hung back to greet his youngest son, and Christian blinked, looking over at him. The king smiled before clapping him on the shoulder. "I've missed you, son."

"I've missed you too, Father," Christian couldn't help but smile. "How was your journey to Cambridge?"

"Quite uneventful, though we were able to get the treaty signed finally. The Duke was quite happy with the result, and he asked to send his regards back here to Grey Castle," Carrick said genially. "So how was everything here?"

"Much of the same," Christian said casually, though thinking the opposite was in fact more true. "How long is Uncle Jack going to be staying with us?"

"Oh, who knows with him?" Carrick chuckled. "He's been travelling all over the country for years now, jumping from one place to the next, never wanting to settle down. I'm hoping he will stay with us for at least a little while, then perhaps he will be able to learn the benefits of being in one place for more than a couple weeks."

"Hm," Christian nodded in agreement, although he couldn't really bring himself to care. "Were we planning on spending the entire evening with Uncle Jack?"

"I don't quite know. I think he is rather tired from our journey," Carrick said, eyeing his son quizzically. "Why?"

"Erm…" Christian hesitated, trying to think of a good excuse that could get him away from his family for just a little while. "I just… I overheard some of the stable boys talking earlier today, and they said they found a few new mares out in the meadow today. I wanted to go down this evening to try to ride one of them."

Horseback riding was something Christian had done a lot since he was a boy, so he knew his father would buy it. Carrick chuckled, shaking his head ruefully.

"You really haven't changed much over the years, have you son?" he said humorously. "Do you promise to be safe?"

"Of course," Christian said quickly.

"Then I'll let you head down to the stables after dinner. Just keep it quiet, and be sure not to tell your mother - she'll have your head if she finds out you've done something so reckless and dangerous as riding a new mare."

"Of course not," Christian grinned, relieved. "Thank you, Father."

"You're welcome, son," Carrick grinned, wrapping his arm around Christian's shoulders. "You've caught me in a good mood, is all. I'm just happy to be home with all of you again."

Christian merely smiled at his father, allowing him to lead the way into the dining hall, anxious for when he could finally put his plan into action.

* * *

Several long hours later, after Christian had spent an entire dinner and dessert listening to his parents and uncle regaling tales of their travels in an exaggerated fashion, he was finally able to slip away from everyone and head down to the stables.

Once he entered the stables, he saw that all the horses were locked up for the evening. No matter, since he didn't need to go on one of them anyway... on the other side of the pen, Christian noticed a blonde stable boy, only a few years younger than him, sweeping hay near the back wall.

"Oy," Christian called, walking toward him. The boy looked up and immediately froze upon seeing it was the prince himself.

"It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you or anything," Christian said in a gentle voice, holding up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "What's your name?"

"Benjamin, sir," the boy said warily.

"Benjamin - would you like a job to do?" Christian said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a small money sack. He jingled the bag to let the boy know it was full of gold coins, and Benjamin's eyes lit up.

"Yes, sir," he said eagerly, hastily setting his broom down and stepping forward.

"Alright. I shall give you a few gold coins right now, and I will give you the rest once the task is completed," Christian said, opening the bag and pulling out three coins. He handed them to Benjamin, who took them eagerly.

"Thank you, sir," Benjamin said happily, pocketing the coins quickly before straightening back up. "What do you need me to do?"

"Deliver a message to somebody tonight," Christian said, now pulling the small scroll out of his back pocket. "This note needs to be given to a young lady in town named Anastasia. She is about my age, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. She and her father run a shoe shop together in a building just off of the main street near the town market. Do you know where that is?"

"I believe I can get there, sir," Benjamin nodded.

"Good," Christian nodded. "Now, this is very important - once she gets the note, you need to stay with her while she reads it. She will have a response for me, which you will then bring directly to me in my chambers. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," Benjamin nodded, but then stopped. "You said she was a shop girl, sir?"

"Yes," Christian said, eyeing him oddly.

"Is she able to read and write, sir?"

Christian froze, unsure of how to answer that. He hadn't considered the thought of Anastasia being illiterate - the Grey family and other royals had always put a strong emphasis on education. However, he knew that people in Anastasia's circles often did not concern themselves with learning how to read and write.

"I hadn't considered that," Christian said quietly after a moment, casting his mind around for a solution to this potential problem. "Alright, if you swear to me not to tell another living soul, I'll give you the most important part of the message, and you will repeat it to her and only her. If she is able to read, however, just give her the note I gave you. Understand?"

"Yes sir."

"Tell her to meet me after sundown tomorrow at the old fallen oak in the Kellfield Meadow outside of town. Do you need me to repeat that?"

"After sundown tomorrow at the old fallen oak in Kellfield Meadow," Benjamin nodded. "I understand, sir."

"Make sure nobody else is around when you give her the message," Christian went on firmly. "Nobody can know about this, alright? If you can do that, and bring her message back to me tonight, and I'll give you the rest of this gold I promised you. Got it?"

"Yes sir," Benjamin said eagerly.

"Go - now. Before the shops close."

Without another word, Benjamin took the tightly-rolled scroll Christian held out in his hand before rushing out the door of the stables. Christian watched him leave, his heart pounding nervously in his chest.

* * *

The opening day for the shoe shop went exceptionally well. At this point, everyone in town had already heard about Raymond Steele, the new cobbler in town, and many people came today to see what the shoe shop had to offer. Alistair acted the part of salesman, showing people all the beautiful new shoes available for purchase, while Raymond sat at the workbench, fixing people's old broken or worn-out shoes as well as giving them a polish. Anastasia worked the till all day, smiling and greeting people as they walked in the door.

Finally, a little before sundown, the shop had closed for the day, and the last customers made their way out of the store with a pair of brand new leather shoes. Raymond waved at them before closing the door behind them.

"We did it, Annie," he turned and smiled widely at his daughter. "We got through our first day! And we really made a mint, I believe."

"We sold twelve pairs of shoes, and you fixed and polished more than twice that many," Anastasia said happily to her father, checking the tally she had made when counting the money. "That should be more than enough to cover rent and utilities, at least for the next few months."

"Aye. And speaking of money, where's my portion?" Alistair piped up, though he was smiling. Raymond chuckled.

"We cannot thank you enough for the help you have given us, Alistair," Raymond said genially, walking forward and clapping the older man on the shoulder. "You will get paid, though you are not off the clock yet today, dear brother."

"I should have known as much," Alistair shook his head dejectedly.

"Come, Alistair - help me store away my tools and the merchandise," Raymond reached down to pick up his tool bag. "Anastasia, could you finish counting the money before locking the doors?"

"Of course, Father," Anastasia said, reopening the till. Raymond and Alistair made their way down into the storage room, carrying various tools and crates in their arms.

Once alone, Anastasia began counting the money before putting it away in the safe. It was completely silent in the empty shop now, and she hummed quietly to herself as she worked. After several moments, however, she heard a soft tapping sound on the front window.

Anastasia looked over at the window, frowning, before noticing a young man of about fourteen gazing back at her. When he saw her looking at him, he waved.

"I'm sorry, but we're closed, sir," Anastasia said to him politely through the window, walking toward him.

"Are you Anastasia?" the boy asked her, his voice sounding muffled through the window. Anastasia raised her eyebrows. "I have a message for her."

Confused but interested, Anastasia made her way to the door and opened it, seeing the boy hurrying toward her. "A message?"

"Yes, miss. I have a message from Prince Christian himself for a girl named Anastasia. He said she had brown hair and blue eyes, and she worked in a shoe shop off of the main road."

Anastasia suddenly smiled, her entire mood suddenly lifting at the prospect of Christian sending her a message. "Yes, I am Anastasia. Christian sent me a message?"

"Yes, miss - it's right here," the boy said, handing her a small scroll in his hand. "Pardon me, miss, but Prince Christian didn't know if you read or not. If you'd like, he gave me permission to tell you what the message is instead."

"It's alright, young man, I read quite well," Anastasia said, a hint of pride in her voice. She knew that other young ladies in town didn't bother with educating themselves, but Anastasia's parents had always made sure she knew how to read and write. "I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Benjamin, miss."

"Thank you, Benjamin," Anastasia smiled at him. "Are you going back to Prince Christian after this?"

"Yes, miss. But he asked me to stay with you in case you would have a response for him," Benjamin said promptly.

"Well, come inside then," Anastasia said, beckoning him indoors. "It's much warmer in here than out there."

"Thank you, miss," the boy said gratefully, hurrying inside. Anastasia quickly closed the door behind him.

"Try to be quiet, and stay out of sight," Anastasia said quietly, walking over to the counter. "My father and uncle are downstairs, and I was supposed to lock the door for the evening already."

Benjamin nodded silently as Anastasia unrolled the note:

 _Dearest Anastasia,_

 _I hope this note finds you well. I would like to begin by apologizing - while I don't quite know how to go about writing a letter like this, all I know is that I cannot stop thinking about you and I wish to establish some sort of contact with you. This letter may not be up to standard of other young suitors seeking to woo a pretty girl, but never in my life have I felt this way about another person before. I do hope with all my heart that my feelings are reciprocated._

 _Unfortunately, my station in life does not permit me to meet with anybody from town alone, but for you, I have and am willing to make an exception. If you are reading this the night of June 3rd, meet me at the fallen oak tree by Kellfield Meadow tomorrow night after sundown. Nothing would please me more than to see you again, and I would feel comfortable knowing that this is the only way we can meet without either of us getting in trouble. If you do not want to see me then, however, I understand and I wish you the best in your life._

 _Please send word back with the messenger right away. I await your reply,_

 _Sincerely yours,_

 _CG_

Anastasia could feel her heart pounding with happiness and exhilaration as she read Christian's note. He wanted to meet her tomorrow evening! Anastasia wanted nothing more than to see him again, and she knew it would be too risky to do it during the daytime, where anybody in town could recognize him. This was truly the best way for them to meet, and Anastasia's body zinged with excitement at the prospect of sneaking out at night to meet with a boy.

"Do you have your response, miss?" Benjamin inquired, and Anastasia looked up at him.

"Yes. Tell the prince I will meet him tomorrow night," Anastasia said, glancing warily over toward the staircase in case her father and uncle came up. "I don't have time to write him another note, but instead you can give him this from me."

She reached for her apron and unpinned a small pink flower brooch attached to it. She had made this brooch a couple years ago out of felt sewn together with string and a button - it was very pretty, but it wasn't much, and yet it was all she had to give to Christian that sufficiently expressed her feelings for him.

"Yes, miss," Benjamin said, accepting the brooch from Anastasia.

"Thank you, Benjamin," Anastasia grasped his arm, smiling at him, and Benjamin beamed back. "Now go - hurry."

Benjamin turned and rushed out the front door, and Anastasia closed it behind him, feeling excited for tomorrow night.

* * *

 **A/N:** **Special thanks to those of you who have been reading and reviewing so far! Next chapter - Christian and Anastasia meet again ;)**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story too at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	8. Like Thieves in the Night

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Like Thieves in the Night**

The summer evening was warm and balmy, with the scent of lilac and honeysuckle surrounding the whole meadow in a heady fragrance. Christian had rarely ventured out to this part of the meadow, only having been here a handful of times as a child playing with his siblings or cousins. Tonight, however, this beautiful meadow with its aromatic flowers and chirping crickets and dusky moonlight was where he was going to be meeting Anastasia for the first time outside of town.

Christian paced the area near the fallen tree where he had told Anastasia to meet him, gazing around for any sign of her approaching. He clutched her felt flower brooch in his hand, having hardly let go of it since Benjamin had delivered it to him yesterday evening. The idea of Anastasia giving him a piece of herself - even when that piece was just an old felt brooch sewn together with string and a button - made him unbelievably happy. He wanted to be able to give her something too… though rather than just a small token, he wanted to shower her in gold and silver and jewelry and fine muslin gowns. She deserved to be treated like a princess, though he knew she would never accept so much finery.

The sun had set more than a quarter of an hour ago, but Christian still didn't see Anastasia anywhere. _Where could she be?_ He was beginning to grow nervous that she would never come - what if she had changed her mind? Or what if her father had caught her trying to sneak away after hours and he was now keeping her from him? Christian suddenly felt that this outing was a terrible idea, and he ought not to have dragged her out to this meadow in the dead of night.

 _What was I thinking?_

Just as he was contemplating leaving, however, a sound came from the distance - Christian turned around, and through the small clearing of trees, silhouetted against the moonlight, he saw what was clearly the figure of a young woman making her way toward him. She was about twenty meters away when she stopped dead in her tracks.

"Christian?" she asked, her voice apprehensive.

Christian couldn't help but beam happily, his heart practically bursting with joy at the sound of her voice. Anastasia had finally come to him, and he couldn't stop himself from striding toward her, his steps long and purposeful.

"Anastasia," he spoke her name through the darkness.

"Christian - I knew that was you," Anastasia's shadowed profile began to move toward him, her hands clutching her skirts as she stepped through the long grass. "I was afraid you would not have come here tonight since it was too much of a risk…"

She was cut off, however, when Christian had finally reached her - without preamble he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Anastasia froze for a moment or two before relaxing and kissing him back, placing her hands upon his chest. They kissed with a fervent desperation, as if they were weary travelers in the desert finding water for the first time in days. Christian opened his mouth against her lips, tasting every inch of her delectable mouth, and Anastasia let him, kissing him back; both of them could do nothing but bask in the comfort and affection of each other's touch.

Christian had missed her terribly these past couple days, and he could tell from the way Anastasia kissed him back that she missed him too. Slowly, reluctantly, they broke apart.

"…Wow," Anastasia breathed after they had finally separated, her voice awed. Christian kept his hands cupping her face, and gently pressed his forehead to hers, still yearning for any kind of contact with her.

"My sweet Anastasia," he whispered, opening his eyes to see her blue irises gazing back at him. "I have missed you."

Anastasia smiled up at him, holding his body closer to her. "And I you, my dear Christian," she said in a gentle, earnest voice, and Christian could not help but smile at what she called him. "I can surely say that I have never known myself to feel so bereft when away from a person's presence in my entire life."

"I agree. Though this feeling that you give me I would not give up for all the gold at Grey Castle," Christian said earnestly, smiling at her, and Anastasia smiled back.

"If I had as much money as your family does, then I am sure I would agree," she said. She had meant it as a joke, but she couldn't help but notice the way it made Christian's smile fade slightly. She gazed at him with worry. "What is it?"

"I am sorry…" he hesitated. "Remembering your station in life reminded me of my own, and I do not want to think of our differences tonight. Tonight, it is just you and me - just Christian and Anastasia."

Anastasia smiled widely, liking the sound of that. "Just Christian and Anastasia," she nodded. "Can I ask you something, Christian? And answer me honestly."

"Of course," Christian said.

"Have you ever sneaked out of the castle at night to meet with a girl, like you are with me tonight?"

Christian could not help but smile and chuckle at that question. "You were worried I do this with young ladies on a regular basis? My sweet, silly Anastasia - I can tell you with complete honesty that I have never done this before. I have never even considered doing this before I met you, and there is no one else that I would ever consider doing it for."

Anastasia stared at Christian, her wide eyes full of affection and some other powerful emotion. "The same goes for me too," she said quietly, sincerely, and Christian smiled at her.

"Come," he said, gesturing toward the fallen tree. Anastasia looked over and saw that he had laid out a quilt with flower petals scattered upon it. There was also a basket filled with bread, cheese, and fruit, and beside it a bottle of wine with two goblets.

Anastasia could only stare at this gorgeous set up, her eyes wide with surprise. "Christian…" she whispered, shaking her head. "You did not have to do all of this."

"I wanted to," Christian said sincerely, taking Anastasia's hand in his own. "I don't think a regular courtship would be possible for the two of us, but I wanted this first meeting of ours to be special. I thought a romantic picnic underneath the moonlight tonight would make it so."

Anastasia turned to look at Christian, her blue eyes conveying such strong affection it made his knees weak. "It was already special," she said sincerely. "All of this…" she gestured to the picnic. "Is just extra. But I am more than pleased to be sharing it with you, Christian."

Christian couldn't help but beam at Anastasia, and immediately leaned over to kiss her once again on the lips. Anastasia didn't hesitate to kiss him back, her heart swelling with happiness.

Christian, still holding Anastasia's hand, now led her over to the blanket and sat himself down beside her. He then began to unpack the picnic basket, and the two of them started talking about the various things that had happened to them since they last saw one another. Anastasia spoke about her father's shoe shop opening yesterday and bringing in a lot of business, and Christian spoke about his mother and father returning to the castle along with his Uncle Jack. Christian found it was easy talking to her, and he especially loved listening to her talk about her own life - she spoke with such love and passion for her family and her father's business. Christian had somewhat of an understanding of how important people's vocations were to them and their families, but hearing it from Anastasia's mouth was a whole new experience. He felt he could listen to her talk forever.

"…I could never imagine being a cobbler," Christian shook his head as Anastasia finished telling her and her father's story. He picked up a small bunch of red grapes and held them up over her mouth; they both snickered as she leaned forward to bite one off. "You and your father must have some incredible stories to tell."

"Not much more incredible than anyone else who lives in town," Anastasia said honestly, chewing on the grape. "I am sure it is much more fascinating being a member of the royal family."

Christian shrugged modestly, putting down the grapes and picking up a small wedge of brie. "Not particularly. I know that I am quite lucky to have been born into the Grey family, but since by brother would be taking over the throne once my father dies, I really do not play much of a role in the country's politics. In fact, the only thing I have to do is -"

Christian cut himself off, realizing what he was about to say. Anastasia gazed at him with a frown on her face.

"What is it?"

Christian glanced up at her with trepidation. "I'm sorry, but there is something about me that I have not told you yet." He hesitated another moment before finally bringing himself to say it: "I am technically betrothed to another woman."

Anastasia didn't say anything for several long seconds, and Christian could only gaze at her warily. The silence stretched on between them.

"You're getting married?" she whispered, her blue eyes conveying a plethora of emotions. The sadness in her gaze made Christian's heart break.

"…It's complicated," he said uncomfortably. "I don't know when I am to be married, but it's to a duchess from Hertfordshire named Susanna. I barely know her, having met her only a few times in my entire life, but I can tell you with complete confidence that I have never felt anything for her. Not like how I feel for you."

Anastasia still didn't say anything for a moment. "You hardly know her, and yet you are still to be married to her?"

"It has been like that in my family for generations. My brother hardly knew his wife before they married, and my father and mother were barely even acquaintances before they wed. It is like this with all royal families, where we have to wed for political reasons to create alliances with other countries."

Anastasia frowned. "And you're alright with that?"

Christian didn't say anything for a moment, and he suddenly got to his feet before pacing the area in front of their picnic blanket. "I used to be," he said honestly, reaching up and tugging his hair fretfully. "My betrothal to the duchess has just always been a part of my life, from when I was a young boy. Royals like me are just brought up to believe that this is how it needs to be, but ever since I met you…" he suddenly stopped and turned toward Anastasia. "I don't want to marry her. I don't believe I could do it."

Anastasia gazed at him sadly. "It does not sound like it is something you can choose to do or not do, Christian."

Christian clenched his jaw angrily before resuming his pacing, clearly getting more agitated with the whole situation now. "I do not understand why these rules have to be in place anyway! I am not in line to be king, so what should it matter who I marry? Why do my parents have to decide this for me - why can't I be the one to choose who I wish to be with…?"

"Christian," Anastasia overrode him firmly, getting to her feet, and he stopped in his tracks. "Please stop. You are not going to solve anything by getting angry like this."

Christian softened, his fists unclenching slightly. "I'm sorry, Anastasia. I just…" he shook his head. "I hate that things have to be this way."

Anastasia gave him a sad smile, walking forward until she was right in front of him. "I can't say I like it much either, but it is the world we live in. There is nothing we can do about it - in the back of my mind, I suppose I always knew neither of us could end up together. I mean, a prince and a commoner?" she shook her head. "It sounds like something out of an old Shakespearean play."

Christian didn't say anything. A part of him felt heartbroken that Anastasia has such a bleak outlook on their relationship… although he could not really define what their relationship was in the first place. They were from two completely different worlds - Christian knew that they were never supposed to have met, much less fall for one another.

Christian took Anastasia's hand and pulled her closer so their bodies were chest to chest. He then wrapped his arms around her waist, reveling in the feel of her body against his, and she automatically brought her hands up to place upon his shoulders.

"Are you telling me that you do not wish to pursue what is happening between us?" he asked quietly, bringing his forehead down so it touched gently against hers. "Because despite our circumstances in life, I am not sure I would ever be able to keep myself from you."

"Nor I you," Anastasia giggled, but then fell silent after a moment. "Would it be considered foolish to continue exploring what is happening between us even if we believe we know what the outcome will be?"

"If it is foolish, then call me a fool," Christian said without hesitation. "Despite our circumstances in life, we do not know how our story will end, but I believe it would be worth it to find out. Don't you?"

Anastasia didn't say anything for a second or two, still turning over the possibilities in her mind. Christian leaned forward to press his lips softly to hers in a sweet, gentle kiss, and Anastasia didn't hesitate to kiss him back.

"I guess I am a fool too," she whispered after they broke apart, blinking her eyes open to look up at him. "Neither of us can say with any certainty what will happen, but I would rather take that chance with you than give up before we know for sure."

Christian smiled widely, the affection in his eyes causing Anastasia to smile too. "I can scarcely say anything has ever made me happier, Anastasia."

He suddenly grasped her around the waist and lifted her up, spinning around and laughing. Anastasia screeched and giggled delightedly.

"Christian!"

Christian finally set her down and kissed her deeply, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, neither of them caring about the world around them or what their relationship might lead to in the future.

They had each other, and for now, nothing else in the world mattered.

* * *

Hours later, Christian finally was able to pull himself away from his beautiful Anastasia and began making his way back to the castle. By this point, the darkness of night had settled completely over the land, and a multitude of guards and lit torches surrounding the castle walls made it difficult for Christian to sneak back in the way he'd left. He hurried around toward the south side of the castle, and prayed he would be able to get back in through the stable gate.

Thankfully, the gate was unlocked, and Christian was able to sneak through it easily and without detection. He then slipped in through one of the back doors, hoping to God none of the indoor guardsmen would spot him making his way up to his bedroom, which was practically all the way across the castle.

Christian tiptoed through the darkened corridors, edging his way around corners and pressing himself up against the wall in case someone was near. He didn't run into any problems as of yet, but as he came closer to the library, he noticed some of the torches were lit nearby.

Curious, but also a bit cautious, Christian made his way closer to the library, wondering why the fires were lit. Peeking in through the open door, he was surprised to see his Uncle Jack sitting alone at a wooden table and reading from a large tome. He was still wearing his day clothes, and had a large stack of books beside him; his brow was furrowed as he read, as if he were concentrating very hard on the contents of the book. He turned the page, still engrossed with what he was reading, and didn't seem to be aware of anyone watching him.

Christian, deciding not to linger in case Jack noticed him, silently stepped past the library door and continued his silent way up toward his bedroom.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all liked that! Next chapter, something happens I'm sure many of you have been waiting for :)**

 **Make sure you follow my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	9. A Happy Dream

**A/N: Thank you for the love and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: A Happy Dream**

 **~one week later~**

The week after Anastasia's nighttime outing with Christian was the best week of her life. The two of them had found ways to spend time together every single day, whether it was under the cover of night in their area of the meadow, or during the day in the town market, where Christian would sneak in wearing his usual servant garb disguise. They would arrange these meetings via Benjamin, who now acted as their personal messenger boy, and he was compensated handsomely for it.

The two of them would spend most of their outings talking and getting to know one another, but when they were alone it was mostly hand-holding and kissing, confessing to one another their deep and earnest feelings. Though Anastasia hadn't said the words yet, she knew beyond a doubt she was falling head over heels in love with Christian - the fact that he was a prince didn't matter to her. In fact, a large part of her wished fervently that he wasn't of royal blood… he would then just be a normal young man from town who could court her openly, without fear of his family's disapproval. Or maybe, in another universe, Anastasia could be a duchess, like the one Christian was betrothed to, and then perhaps she too could be worthy of his love.

Anastasia would give anything for their situations to be different, but since they had agreed to not let their class differences dictate their choices, she decided to put it out of her mind for the time being.

Anastasia woke up bright and early Sunday morning to go to mass with her father and uncle. She changed into her favorite light blue frock with a nice lace overlay, and tied a pretty white coif over her hair. She was feeling a bit sad today - Christian had told her he could not visit with her today due to the familial obligation of his nephew's birthday. He had promised to send Benjamin to her with a note this afternoon, however, so she at least had that to look forward to.

She went downstairs to see her father and uncle talking quietly with each other. Raymond looked up and smiled upon seeing his daughter approaching.

"Anastasia - I am glad you are up. There is something your uncle and I wish to discuss with you," he said promptly. Anastasia frowned at him, feeling rather anxious.

"What is it?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing too serious, I promise you," Raymond insisted. "It is just that Alistair and I have a potential business opportunity up in Brighton. A manager at a lumber mill wants all of his workers' shoes checked over and fixed, and a few weeks ago he asked me for a price quote, which I sent. I received a letter from him today saying that he will accept our business, and he will be expecting Alistair and I in Brighton tomorrow afternoon."

"That's wonderful, Father! So you are going to be out of town for awhile?" Anastasia wasn't sure how to feel about that, but something inside of her was almost hopeful.

"We are sorry to be leaving you here all by yourself, Anastasia," Alistair said sincerely. "It will only be for a couple days, hopefully, but until then you will be here all alone."

"And what about the shop?"

"It shall remain closed until we return," Raymond explained. "As much as I value your experience working here with us, Anastasia, you will be alone and it would be impractical for you to run everything by yourself. The money we make on this business trip will hopefully compensate for the days we close the shop."

"Well, hopefully you will not be gone for too long," Anastasia said with a melancholy smile.

"We would not dream of it," Raymond said jovially, walking forward and wrapping an arm around his daughter. "Brighton is not too far away, and if all goes well at the lumber mill, Alistair and I will be back no later than Wednesday morning."

"Then I shall look forward to your return," Anastasia said to her father fondly, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

Though she seemed sincere on the outside, Anastasia's mind was swirling with the possibilities of having her home all to herself. She would not have to sneak away in the dead of night to meet with Christian tomorrow - instead, he could just come here.

He could be here with her… in her bedroom, and in her bed. Anastasia blushed as she thought about being with Christian in that way, like how a husband and wife lay together, but she felt tingles spread from her head down to her toes all the same. She knew it was what they both wanted, and what other chance like this were they going to have? The timing could not have been more perfect.

Benjamin was going to be coming by later that day, and Anastasia knew she could send a note with him telling Christian where they could meet tomorrow evening. He would be ecstatic, she was sure, and she smiled at the thought.

"See? I told you she would enjoy having us gone for a few days," Raymond now said to Alistair, turning to smile over at his daughter. "I doubt she would even miss us for a moment."

"Of course I will miss you, Father," Anastasia smiled at him sincerely. "I am simply happy about not having to run the shop by myself, though it will be dreadfully boring around here with nothing to do."

"That is understandable, though I am sure you will find a way to pass the time," Alistair said, glancing out the window toward the church in the distance. "I believe mass is going to be starting soon, Raymond. Shall we go?"

"Yes, we shan't be late," Raymond said, hurrying to gather his things together. "Are you ready Anastasia?"

"Yes, Father," Anastasia went over to the coat rack to grab her parasol and fan, since the church often became stiflingly hot in the summer heat.

"Let us be off then." Raymond opened the door, and Anastasia and Alistair both filed out. Anastasia followed her uncle and father down the road toward church, wondering about the hypocrisy of going into God's house knowing what she was likely going to be doing tomorrow evening.

* * *

Sunday went by quickly, and by Monday morning Anastasia finally got to have the whole apartment and shop to herself. Raymond and Alistair left for Brighton very early before dawn, and Anastasia woke up so she could say goodbye to them. The shop was closed and Anastasia was home alone without her dad or uncle, she was going to have a vacation for the first time in many years - it was exciting, to say the least.

And Anastasia was even more excited to be spending Monday evening with Christian.

Sunday afternoon, Benjamin had sneaked through the back alley behind the shops and met with Anastasia, giving her Christian's letter as he had promised. Anastasia then gave Benjamin her own letter to pass along to Christian, which told him of her father's business trip to Brighton, leaving her home alone for several days. In an act of brazenness she had never known of herself before, Anastasia wrote that he ought to come to her window Monday night after sundown, and she would sneak him inside. She did not explicitly state why she wanted him to come into her bedroom, but she hoped he would understand the implication. It wasn't as if she had any experience in these matters.

This felt right, though, and she was going to see it through.

All day, Anastasia spent her time cleaning the apartment and the shop downstairs, feeling it was a bit odd that it was the middle of a work day and the shop was empty and dark. She made sure to sweep the floors, wash the cupboards, dust the bookshelves, and clean off the workbench, which took her until the late afternoon. After she ate her dinner of bread and vegetable stew, she went upstairs to prepare herself for Christian's arrival.

She was feeling terribly nervous at this point - what does one wear for a liason such as this, she wondered. A nightgown? A fine frock and petticoat? Nothing at all? Anastasia felt out of her element here, and after a long while finally settled on a simple short-sleeve white cotton gown that was more low-cut than what was appropriate in polite company. However, she hoped it was something Christian would like…

 _Would like to take off of her, that is._

Anastasia watched the sun begin to set along the horizon, and she continued to prepare and prettify herself for Christian. She heated up a basin of water over the fire and washed herself from top to bottom with a washcloth; she then dabbed some rose scented water along her neck and wrists, hoping the perfume smelled nice upon Christian's arrival. Finally, after putting her dress back on, she took her long brown hair out of its usual updo and let it cascade down her back in long ringlets. Gazing at herself in the looking glass, she felt her appearance was very brazen and wanton… but hopefully not too much so.

Just as she was putting the finishing touches on her outfit, she heard a soft tapping sound on her window. She looked over and saw a few pebbles hitting the glass panes, and she smiled to herself before getting to her feet.

Looking out her second-floor window, Anastasia gazed down onto the street to see Christian standing there alone, dressed in his usual commoner clothing. He smiled up at Anastasia as she opened the window.

"Anastasia," he said, gazing up at her in awe and reverence. "You look absolutely breathtaking."

Anastasia giggled, her cheeks blushing pink. "And how can you even see me from that distance, sir? It is not very appropriate to speak with a young lady at her bedroom window at night."

"Then allow me to come up there, beautiful lady, so that I may be able to address you properly."

Anastasia giggled again, feeling her heart soaring with happiness as it often did when she spoke with Christian. "Just a moment," she said before turning back into her room and picking up the rope ladder she had taken out of her father's storage shed. After latching one end of it onto her windowsill, she let it unspool out the window down to the road where Christian stood.

"Climb up - hurry," Anastasia said urgently, glancing up and down the empty street to ensure nobody was nearby. Christian grabbed the end of the rope ladder and began to climb up quickly - in only a few moments, he was at her window, and Anastasia helped him inside.

"Thank you," Christian smiled, brushing himself off as he stood in the middle of her bedroom. He glanced around the small area, his gray eyes eagerly taking everything in. "So these are your sleeping chambers."

"In a manner of speaking," Anastasia said, pulling the rope ladder back into her room before closing the window and closing the drapes. "It is not exactly a castle where my father and I live, Christian."

"You are right, my apologies," Christian said sincerely, but the next moment he was in front of her, gazing at her with an intense, blazing look in his eyes. Anastasia couldn't help but blush as Christian's eyes roved over her body, taking in her low-cut dress and her long unruly chestnut hair. He reached forward and brushed his hands along her bare arms, causing goose pimples to appear where he touched.

"You are exquisite, Anastasia," he whispered, gazing at her as if he could hardly believe she was real. "Words cannot describe how happy I felt when you asked me to come to your home tonight."

Anastasia's heart pounded loudly in her chest. "When my father said he and my uncle were going to be out of town for several days, I knew I could not pass this opportunity up. I knew I wanted to spend tonight with you."

Christian smiled, looking like the happiest man to have ever walked the earth, and Anastasia could not help but smile too. Christian reached up and took Anastasia's face in his hands, brushing his thumbs gently along her cheeks.

"Oh, Anastasia…" he whispered reverentially before leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers in a tender yet passionate kiss. Anastasia kissed him back, reveling in his taste, his warmth, and his affection - she felt she could be like this with him all the time and never grow tired of him.

Their kiss soon began to escalate as Christian opened his mouth against hers, tangling their tongues together as passion began to dominate their actions; Anastasia felt as if her heart was going to burst as Christian kissed her senseless. He finally nipped her bottom lip before pulling back slightly, both their chests heaving as they panted for air.

"Anastasia," Christian breathed, his face mere centimeters from her own. He closed his eyes. "My blood burns for you… my heart cannot stop pounding at your touch… I do not know if I can keep myself from you any longer."

"Then don't," Anastasia said without hesitation, gazing up at Christian with all the love and passion she felt. "I am yours Christian."

"Oh, Anastasia…"

Christian pressed his lips against hers once again, moving his arms down to wrap around her waist. Anastasia gasped surprise as he lifted her up into his arms and walked them over to her bed, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, anchoring herself to him.

"Christian…" Anastasia breathed against his lips, feeling him lower them both down onto the bed on top of her quilt. Christian now hovered above her, kissing her passionately on the lips, and Anastasia lay on her back beneath him, feeling her desire rising in a crescendo the more he touched her.

"You are exquisite, Anastasia," Christian whispered, moving his lips along her jaw and down her neck, causing her to whimper. "Everything about you calls to me… I do not know how I have gone through my entire life without you."

Anastasia felt Christian begin to gently pull her dress sleeves down her shoulders, and excitement and anxiousness both filled her heart. She had never been this bare in front of a man before, and she felt that once she was going to expose herself to Christian, there would be no turning back. The thought distracted her for a moment, and Christian seemed to notice.

"Are you alright?" he whispered, positioning himself up on his elbows above her and gazing into her eyes in concern. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No," Anastasia shook her head, biting her lip. "I've just… I've never done this before."

"Neither have I," Christian confessed, still searching her eyes. "I have dreamt many times about being like this with you, Anastasia, but I would never force you to do anything you do not want to do. If you want me to stop right now, just tell me."

Anastasia gazed into Christian's eyes, and she could see his sincerity, the vulnerability reflected in those gray orbs as he stared back at her. She now felt resolved on what she wanted to do, and with her heart pounding in her chest, she slowly lowered the straps of her dress all the way down to reveal her breasts.

Christian seemed at a loss for words, and Anastasia did not know what he was thinking. Finally, after several moments of staring, he leaned down to kiss the top of her chest, nipping at her soft skin before moving down toward her nipple.

"You are absolute perfection, Anastasia," Christian breathed against her skin, and Anastasia gasped at the sensations he was producing. "Everything about you… is absolutely perfect."

Christian continued to kiss her left breast, moving his hand up to fondle the right one. Anastasia arched her back, gasping at the wonderful feeling of his lips and hands on her chest. Before she knew what was happening, Christian had tugged her dress down her body to her waist, and the next moment her dress was pooled on the ground at her feet, leaving her completely naked.

Christian now stood up, staring down at Anastasia's naked body with unmistakable desire. He began to strip off his own clothing - he kicked off his boots before removing his jacket and untying his cravat. His shirt, now hanging wide open, was still tucked into his pants, and Anastasia reached forward to grasp the ends and tug them out. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders, revealing his naked torso, which was chiseled and defined with muscle. Her desire must have been evident on her face, because Christian smiled at her.

"Do you like what you see, my lady?" he asked teasingly, moving forward so that he was hovering over her on the bed once again.

"Yes, I do," Anastasia smiled sweetly, and Christian chuckled before kissing her once again. He gently moved them so her head lay on her pillow, and he lay on top of her in a position that was comfortable for both of them. They continued to kiss and fondle one another, the hardness of Christian's length pressing through his trousers against her thigh.

"Are you ready, my love?" Christian whispered, kissing along her jaw. Anastasia's breath hitched in her throat when she heard him use the word love.

 _Does he love me?_

Anastasia knew beyond a doubt that she loved him, and as fast and tumultuous as their relationship had happened, she could never see herself loving another like she loved him.

"I am," she breathed, tilting her head back as his lips reached her ear. "I'm ready for you, Christian."

In a moment, she felt Christian pull off his trousers and toss them to the floor with the rest of the clothing. They were now both completely naked, the skin of their bodies touching from head to toe, gentle brushes which were warm and soft with the heat of their passion.

"Anastasia," Christian breathed, and she looked him in the eye as his cock brushed up against her center, poised to deflower her. His eyes conveyed his deep affection and vulnerability, and Anastasia felt her body ache with her need for him.

"Christian," Anastasia whispered back, and gasped slightly as he finally pushed his way into her.

The pain was overwhelming for a few brief moments, but Christian was gentle, keeping his body still enough so she could adjust to his length. His movements were slow yet loving, following the cues her body gave him. Anastasia was all sensation as Christian made love to her, filling her in a way she had never been before. The way Christian held her, kissed her, conveyed his feelings for her with his touch, was more than Anastasia felt she could bear. The emotions coursing through her body at this wonderful, magical moment caused tears to spring into her eyes.

They made love for what felt like hours, touching and caressing one another as their bodies and souls connected. Finally, they both came together in a spectacular climax, panting and clutching each other as if their lives depended on it. The release they had together was something neither of them had ever experienced before, and both of them needed several moments to collect themselves in the blissful aftermath.

Christian, finally noticing the tears slipping down Anastasia's face, leaned forward to kiss them away, and Anastasia couldn't help but smile, running her fingers through Christian's hair as she did so.

Happiness and love and desire and so many other wonderful emotions filled her entire body, making her feel tingly and warm. She wished with all her heart she could stay this way with Christian forever.

And perhaps, in a happy dream, she really could.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, hope you all liked that! If you did, please review :)**

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	10. Whispers

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! Hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Whispers**

Anastasia roused from her sleep to the feeling of light, gentle kisses along her collarbone. She let out an involuntary moan, shifting her body slightly when the lips pressed against her skin smiled. Anastasia blinked open her eyes in the pre-dawn light to see a thick mop of dark copper-colored hair resting near her bare shoulder.

Memories of the previous night returned to Anastasia, and she could not help but smile, warm flutters spreading throughout her stomach and into her fingers and toes.

"Good morning, beautiful," Christian whispered, shifting against her slightly as he lifted his face up and gazed into her eyes. "How are you this fine morning?"

Anastasia couldn't help but giggle. "I'm wonderful, thank you."

"Oh, I could get used to waking up to the sound of your beautiful voice," Christian whispered, moving his lips along her jaw before reaching her lips. Anastasia whimpered against him, her arousal causing her heart to pound loudly in her chest. She had never known herself to react this way to a man's touch, but ever since Christian had deflowered her last night, every brush of his skin seemed to ignite something that had laid dormant within her all these years.

Unfortunately, Christian pulled away from her before anything could escalate between them, and he let out a sigh. "Alas, I cannot stay for much longer. I need to get back to the castle before the others wake up."

Anastasia glanced out the window toward the blue-tinted sky, and realized that the sun was indeed going to be rising very soon. She sighed, feeling suddenly sad.

"I don't want you to go," she confessed quietly, turning to gaze into Christian's eyes, and he gave her a small, sad smile.

"I don't wish to go either…" he said, brushing his hand gently along her arm. "In a perfect world, I think I would spend every moment of the day in a bed with you, without a stitch of clothing on either of our bodies."

"Stop it," Anastasia giggled, and he quickly moved so he was hovering over her again. He leaned down to kiss her deeply on the lips, and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back.

"Last night was incredible," Christian whispered after a moment, pulling away slightly as he gazed into Anastasia's eyes. " _You_ were incredible. I know I'm going to remember it for my entire life."

Anastasia blushed, staring back at him with an equal amount of love and desire. "You were incredible as well," she whispered. "I never knew it could feel that way… I mean, it was indescribable."

"I am glad you enjoyed it," Christian chuckled with a warm smile, pressing one more kiss to her lips before finally getting out of bed. He began gathering his strewn clothes from the floor, shamelessly naked in the dim morning light, and Anastasia watched him while unconsciously biting her lip.

"You know it is rude to stare, Miss Steele," Christian smirked at her while putting on his trousers, and Anastasia couldn't help but smile.

"I apologize, sir, but I only stare because I like what I see," she said amusedly, and Christian chuckled, now pulling on his shirt and tucking it into his pants. There was a brief silence between them as he got dressed, and Anastasia didn't know what else to say. She wanted to ask if what he had said to her last night about loving her was true, but instead she asked: "When am I going to get to see you again?"

She felt a bit uncomfortable asking that, the vulnerability of her question causing her cheeks to blush bright pink, and she quickly glanced down at the quilt covering her naked body: "I mean, if you are too busy with royal affairs, I understand. I merely thought that… well… I wondered if you and I could… I mean…"

"Anastasia," Christian interrupted her, smiling at her with affection. He sat down at the edge of her bed and cupped her face gently in his hands. "Don't doubt for a second that I want to spend every moment with you - because I do, truly. If I can get away from my family this evening after sundown, I would love to come back here and see you again."

Anastasia bit her lip and smiled, happy at the prospect of being with him again so soon. "Are you sure you can sneak back here again without being caught?"

"Nothing would be able to stop me," Christian smiled, leaning forward and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. Anastasia closed her eyes at his touch, and slowly blinked open her eyes once he pulled away; she gazed into his eyes, feeling suddenly a bit insecure.

"What is it?" Christian asked, noticing the expression on her face.

Anastasia bit her lip, wondering if she should say what was on her mind. "Last night," she whispered. "You said I was your love."

Christian gazed into her eyes for a few moments, his expression unreadable, before giving her a smile. "You don't believe you are?"

Anastasia saw the sincerity in his expression, and could not help but smile too. "I don't know… would that make you my love as well?"

Christian chuckled, his expression conveying all the love and affection he felt for her. "Oh, sweet Anastasia… I believe I have been yours from the moment I laid eyes on you."

* * *

Christian left before the sun rose completely, and Anastasia decided to get up and ready for the day, unable to fall back asleep after her and Christian's conversation this morning. They had confessed their love for each other, and Anastasia felt as if her mind was in a cloud, flying higher than she ever had before. The man she loved told her that he loved her too, and they had demonstrated their love and devotion to each other last night in a physical manner… Anastasia doubted anything in the world felt better than this feeling she had right now. She couldn't help but have a smile on her face throughout the day, her mind straying to all the wonderful things she and Christian had done together last night.

After getting dressed and completing her morning chores, Anastasia decided to go to the market that afternoon and stock up on food for when her father and uncle came back home tomorrow. She pulled on her red cloak and grabbed her shopping basket before heading out for the town square. The day was bright and sunny, and Anastasia's happiness was contagious as she found herself smiling at everybody she passed on the street.

She made it to the market, and immediately noticed Leila and her friend Charlotte standing near one of the fabric stands and chatting with each other over the various items of fashionable clothing. Anastasia remembered all of the awful things those girls had said about her the other day, but it hardly bothered her at the moment - her mind was still dwelling on her night with Christian, and that was something nobody could ever take away from her.

"Anastasia," Leila looked up and smiled widely as she saw Anastasia approach. "We have not seen you in so long! How are you?"

"I am well, Leila," Anastasia smiled, thinking with satisfaction that she was reliving some recent memories of her passionate night with Christian. "How are things with you? How is _The Glasgow_?"

"Same as always," Charlotte rolled her eyes with a smile. "Drunken revelries nearly every night."

Leila and Anastasia both laughed. "Sounds like a lot of fun," Anastasia smiled. "I have not been there for awhile - I wonder if I could stop by anytime soon?"

"Well, we were about to have something to eat there," Charlotte said with an eager smile. "The pub has a new chef that makes a delicious turnip stew. It's gotten very popular with the patrons, and we were about to have some for our midday meal. Would you like to join us?"

"I would love to," Anastasia grinned widely, and the three of them began making their way to the main street where _The Glasgow_ was.

"By the way, Anastasia, do you think your friend Chris could come by the pub for a pint sometime soon?" Leila asked, her casual tone of voice clearly trying to hide her fervent interest in him.

"I don't believe so. His family is from out of town, and I guess he will be visiting them for the next few weeks," Anastasia lied. A look of disappointment flashed across Leila's face, and Anastasia couldn't help but feel a bit smug.

"Oh… well I am sorry to hear that," she said in a disappointed voice. "Perhaps once he is back, the three of us could meet at the pub for a pint or two?"

"Sure, sounds like fun," Anastasia said with a smile, though she honestly doubted they would ever do something like that. The three of them continued on their way to the pub, making idle small talk.

 _The Glasgow_ was rather full, a substantial amount of people crowding in for the midday meal; the pub was usually pretty dark, with very few windows letting in sunlight, and Anastasia had a difficult time navigating the area since the dim candles on all the tables offered very little light. Leila, Charlotte, and Anastasia weaved their way through the tables and ended up seating themselves near the bar. Another barmaid, who Anastasia recognized as Leila's and Charlotte's friend, approached them to take their food orders.

"Well, aren't you three a cheery lot," she said with a smirk, crossing her arms as she gazed at the three of them. "At least _some_ of us work to earn our keep around here."

"Do not worry, Elizabeth - Charlotte and I are working the night shift tonight," Leila consoled her friend with a grin. "But until then, we'd like three bowls of the turnip stew and a loaf of bread, please."

"And three pints of ale," Charlotte piped up

"Alright then," Elizabeth grinned and rolled her eyes, "But next time, you all shall be the one serving _me_."

She went away to get their food, and Leila, Charlotte, and Anastasia began talking with one another. While Anastasia knew Leila and her friends had said some rather unkind things about her behind her back, she could not bring herself to entirely dislike any of them - Leila was one of the first people Anastasia had met when she moved into town, and for the most part she was very friendly. Perhaps she gossiped a little, but that wasn't a terrible offense, and Anastasia could not bring herself to hold it against her.

And although Leila may have had feelings for Christian, Anastasia knew she would never have him the way she, Anastasia, had already had him. The thought was rather satisfying.

"How is business going for you and your father, Anastasia?" Charlotte turned to her. "I noticed your shoe shop wasn't open yesterday."

"Oh, yes - my father and uncle have been out of town on a business trip these past few days. They should be back in town by tomorrow, hopefully."

"So you got to be home all by yourself?" Charlotte asked, her eyes perking up excitedly. "Oh, that sounds simply wonderful! My parents are both farmers, and with all eight siblings living under one roof, there's always someone around who needs to tend the fields and milk the cows…"

The three of them continued to talk about their families, and Elizabeth soon returned with their soup, bread, and ale. After she set everything down at their table, she began making her way through the bar, gathering all the empty dishes that were left on unoccupied tables.

Anastasia's eyes idly followed her to the other side of the bar, where she suddenly stopped and stared at something in the corner of the room. Anastasia followed her gaze, and noticed a man sitting at a table alone in the corner, looking back at Elizabeth with an unreadable expression on his face. The entire pub was rather dark, but the man looked practically invisible since he sat discreetly in the shadows while wearing his cloak and hood.

Elizabeth stared at the man for a moment or two, her posture conveying her surprise, before quickly glancing nervously at her surroundings and hurrying into the backroom with her head down.

Anastasia frowned after her, wondering what on earth had caused Elizabeth to act in such a strange manner - she glanced back over to the man in the corner, but he was still rather difficult to make out while in his dark cloak. Neither Leila nor Charlotte seemed to notice anything odd as they continued to chat with one another about mundane things.

Elizabeth came back out from the kitchens, her arms no longer filled with dirty dishes, and she glanced around the whole bar again before walking hesitantly over the hooded man. Anastasia watched her with keen interest as she whispered something harshly to him, clearly upset at his presence. He lifted his face slightly to her and said something back, but the pub was too crowded and noisy for Anastasia to hear from across the room.

She didn't like the look of that hooded man, and she was extremely curious as to how Elizabeth knew him. Perhaps he was a patron who had been banned, and somehow managed to sneak back in again? Anastasia suddenly felt a bit nervous for Elizabeth, and decided to help her if the need arose.

"Pardon me, I need to run to the washroom," Anastasia excused herself from the table, getting to her feet. Leila and Charlotte both nodded at her, and Anastasia hurried across the bar toward where Elizabeth and the man were.

The hallway leading to the backroom was right near where Elizabeth and the man were, and Anastasia discreetly walked past them and down the hallway, pretending to be heading for the washroom. Once she was further down the hallway and hidden from view, she silently tiptoed back to the entryway, where she was able to eavesdrop on Elizabeth and the hooded man speaking with each other:

"…thought you said you would never come here. It's not safe, you know," Elizabeth hissed, and Anastasia frowned in confusion.

"Who in this seedy little pub is going to recognize me anyway?" the man sneered. He had the deep voice a middle-aged man, and it was one Anastasia didn't recognize. "Besides, I am well-hidden here."

"Well _I_ recognized you, and someone else might too," Elizabeth said, sounding very worried. "I thought we were meeting at my flat later tonight."

"It may not be safe. I am growing concerned the others know I am planning something," the man said quietly. "We must remain discreet."

"I have work to do, and it will seem suspicious that I am standing here talking to you for a long time."

"Then I shall be quick," the man said, and Anastasia heard him shifting in his seat before lowering his voice. "I think we need to act soon - by the end of this weeks' time."

Elizabeth let out a barely-concealed gasp, and Anastasia felt inexplicably nervous. It sounded as if the two of them were plotting something devious.

"But we are not ready," Elizabeth said quietly.

"I have spent nearly all my life preparing for this. I am more than ready," the man hissed. "The throne at Grey Castle will rightfully be mine, and I can finally start ruling this land the way it ought to have been since before King Theodore's death. And the townspeople will be thrilled that a woman of your standing will be by my side through it all. Now is the time to strike, where nobody would be expecting us."

"There ought to be a better way, though," Elizabeth whispered in distress. "She is just an innocent girl. Everybody in town adores her. If anybody received word of what we did…"

"If all goes according to plan, no harm shall befall sweet Amelia's head," the man said, though the tone of amusement in his voice was disconcerting. "Do not concern yourself with that, Elizabeth. All will be well soon enough."

Elizabeth did not answer for several long seconds. "I must be getting back to work," she said quietly. "I shall meet with you when I am finished."

"Good," the man said, and Anastasia heard him getting to his feet. "I shall be waiting at our usual location."

Anastasia shrunk back down the hallway as she saw the silhouette of the mysterious man pass by the corridor and head toward the front door. He still had his hood up, so she couldn't make out his face, and after a moment Elizabeth walked away to continue waiting tables.

Anastasia could only stand frozen to the spot, fear filling her entire body, and the only thought that could penetrate her head was how she was going to tell Christian that she had overheard a plot to kidnap his sister in order to usurp his father's throne.

* * *

 **A/N: The plot thickens! If you enjoyed that, please leave a review. Next chapter, something else a bit unexpected happens.**

 **My Pinterest board is updated. Check it out at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	11. Warning Signs

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Warning Signs**

Christian felt as if he were flying on a cloud from the moment he woke up that morning. He had rolled over in a bed he wasn't familiar with only to see the beautiful brunette head of Anastasia, sleeping soundly without a stitch of clothing on her gorgeous body. Memories of the previous night came rushing back to him, and he couldn't contain the feeling of love and affection filling his heart as he gazed at her. He realized with a sudden clarity, right then and there, that he would do just about anything for her, and he wanted to spend every single night with her like how they had spent it last night.

It had been his first time - both their first times - and it was an incredible experience Christian knew he would remember for the rest of his life. The lingering effects of their kiss goodbye and the promise of seeing each other again tonight followed Christian as he sneaked out of the bedroom window and headed back to Grey Castle in the early hours of the morning.

He managed to sneak back into the castle grounds and up through his bedroom window without incident, and by that time the sun had begun to rise along the horizon. He quickly changed into his clothes for the day, and made sure to rustle his bedding a bit to make it look like he had slept there last night in case a servant came in to tidy.

Christian then went down to breakfast to see the rest of his family, coming in at around the same time as all of them, and thankfully none of them seemed to notice anything amiss. Christian silently ate his breakfast as everyone talked over their meal, and even though he tried to pay attention to what everyone was talking about, his mind was actually a million miles away. He imagined Anastasia lying beside him in bed this morning, her naked body and perfect breasts on full display in front of him. Christian's mind filled with all sorts of erotic images which made him almost completely absent from everything else happening around him.

"…Christian?" Grace's voice snapped him out of his reverie, and he quickly looked up at her. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

"No Mother," he answered quickly. While he honestly hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, he knew better than to ask his mother to repeat what she had said.

"I think Uncle Christian hasn't woken up for the day yet, has he son?" Elliot asked Jonathan, who snickered into his bowl of oatmeal.

"Shut up, Elliot," Christian smirked at his brother who made a face right back.

"…Good morning, everyone," Uncle Jack finally appeared at the doorway to the dining hall, smiling at everyone sitting at the table. He looked very cheery this morning, though Christian could not help but notice some dark circles underneath his eyes, as if he had been up nearly as many nights as Christian had.

"Good morning, Jack," King Carrick smiled at his brother, who took the seat to his left at the breakfast table. "Any plans today?"

"Plans that involve me getting out of the castle, you mean?" Jack asked humorously, and Elliot and Grace both chuckled. "Sorry, dear brother, I am afraid I shall be around for a few more days at least."

"Where will you be going when you leave Grey Castle, Uncle Jack?" Amelia asked, spreading jam onto a piece of toast.

"That remains to be seen, my dear, though I promise to never be too far away," Jack turned and smiled over at Amelia. Christian wasn't too sure what he meant by that, but chose not to say anything.

Their breakfast commenced without incident, and everyone continued talking about what they were going to be doing that day. Christian was rather relieved to hear his parents were going to be involved in diplomatic meetings all day, and he hoped optimistically maybe he would be able to sneak into town to visit Anastasia at some point this afternoon. However, Amelia really wanted to go down to the kitchens today and bake bread with Miss Gail, the castle's head chef, and she insisted Christian come with her as her testing subject. She was very adamant, and Christian couldn't help but agree to go with her - Mia had always been his soft spot, and he was willing to indulge her whenever she wanted to spend a little time with him.

Christian and Amelia spent pretty much the entire day in the kitchens with Gail Jones, the head chef of Grey Castle, known affectionately by all the Grey family as Miss Gail. The three of them spent several happy hours that day baking bread, and Miss Gail even treated them to some pies and tarts she had made earlier that morning. Mia was still in the learning stages of baking, but Christian could tell she was getting better as she became more confident in her abilities. Her bread had admittedly turned out to be pretty tasty as well.

Finally, the evening came around, and everyone gathered together for dinner. The king and queen were apparently still wrapped up in meetings, and Jack was nowhere to be found, but Christian assumed he was probably in the library or something. He therefore ate a quick dinner with his siblings, and once finished he hurried off to his bedroom so he could prepare for sneaking out this evening to spend with Anastasia.

After putting on his servant disguise and ensuring nobody was outside his door in the corridor, he slipped out of the window in his usual manner and hurried across the castle grounds toward the town. His eagerness to see Anastasia again spurred him along faster than usual, and he hardly cared who saw him at this point, though thankfully he did not see anyone pass him on the road.

Darkness had finally settled when Christian made it to town, and he practically ran down the main street toward where the Steele's shoe shop was. Once he was in front of it, he noticed that there weren't any lights on in the upper story where her flat was, but a few dim candles were lit in the downstairs windows, inside the shop. Feeling a bit trepidatious, Christian moved toward the front door and lightly knocked, hoping to God her father was not the one who answered.

Almost immediately the door flew open, and there stood Anastasia, thankfully alone. Christian wasn't sure what to expect when he saw her tonight, but he was instantly alarmed at the look of distress marring her beautiful features.

"Christian," she whispered, her pale face completely distraught. She quickly took his hand and pulled him inside the shop.

"Anastasia," Christian said, allowing himself to be dragged inside as he gazed at her with worry. "What has happened? Are you okay? What on earth has made you like this?"

"Please, Christian, do not speak so loudly," Anastasia whispered, quickly closing and locking the door behind him. "I do not know if we are safe - I cannot think straight, I hardly know how to understand what has happened."

"Anastasia - please, tell me what has happened," Christian begged of her, and she turned to face him, tears in her beautiful blue eyes. "Has somebody hurt you?"

"No, I was not hurt. But I went to _The Glasgow_ earlier today, and I overheard something I should not have," she whimpered, her whole body shivering as if she were cold. Christian automatically stepped forward and put his arms around her, though she seemed too distracted to notice. "There was a cloaked man sitting in a corner, and I had overheard him saying some horrible things. I believe he was plotting to kidnap your sister in an attempt to usurp your father's throne."

Christian could only stare at Anastasia, unsure if he had heard her correctly. Whatever it was he had expected her to say, this certainly was not it - he felt all the blood drain from his face as he slowly removed his arms from her. "What?" he breathed.

"I do not know who the man was, but he sounded dangerous," Anastasia continued, wringing her hands nervously. "He was speaking to a woman who works at the pub - Elizabeth I believe her name is. I think she might be in on the plot too."

"Wait," Christian interrupted her, frowning. "Are you certain this is what they were plotting?"

"Yes, Christian!" Anastasia whispered harshly, gazing up at him urgently. "Please believe me - this man sounded dangerous. He spoke about waiting his entire life for an opportunity to take the throne, and to take what was rightfully his… I am frightened for you and your family, Christian. I do not know what to do or what to think, and up until now I did not even know if you were coming over so I could warn you about what I had overheard…"

Christian immediately pulled Anastasia into his arms, holding her close in an effort to calm and comfort her. He hated that this was happening, and he especially hated that Anastasia had spent all day today in distress because of what she had overheard.

"Thank you, Anastasia," he said sincerely, holding her tightly in his arms, and after a moment or two Anastasia hugged him back. "Though I am sorry you had to listen to those wretched people conspiring against my family, I am now able to go and warn my father about a plot that has formed against him and my sister. Our guardsmen will be able to protect them and all of us against any invading attack."

"Are you frightened, Christian?" Anastasia asked, noticing the calm manner in which he spoke.

"I am, Anastasia, but in all honesty this is not the first time somebody has plotted or conspired against my family. Being of royal blood, we often become targets for people's jealousy and ire, and we must be prepared for it at all times. I can warn my parents of a known threat against Amelia, and they can take the proper measures to protect her."

"Well, you must hurry then, before the man can get a chance to bring harm to your sister," Anastasia insisted, reluctantly pulling away from him to gaze into his eyes.

Christian knew she was right - this situation took precedent over his original plans of him coming into town to see Anastasia this evening. However, he could not help but feel a bit disheartened that their time was now going to be cut short due to this problem. He leaned forward and kissed her earnestly on the lips, and she didn't hesitate to kiss him back.

"I am sorry to be leaving you like this," Christian whispered after a moment, pulling back slightly to gaze into Anastasia's eyes. "I promise I will make it up to you soon, my love."

"I look forward to it," Anastasia smirked up at him. "Now go - hurry! And please be careful."

Christian nodded at her before turning and hurrying out of the shop, rushing back up the street toward Grey Castle. It seemed to have gotten darker out since he had arrived at Anastasia's, and although darkness never really bothered him before, tonight it seemed to make him nervous and afraid, as if he anticipated someone would jump out and attack him at any given moment. He hurried down the path toward Grey Castle, trying to quell his fear and gather his nerve for what he was about to tell his father.

How he was going to tell the king what he knew without revealing where he had sneaked off to, however, was a different story.

He made it to the castle grounds and slipped back in through the hedges in his usual way. He was surprised to see none of the guards milling around the area, but chose not to dwell on it as he rushed to his bedroom window and pulled himself up onto the ledge.

Once in his chambers, he debated whether or not he ought to change into other clothes, but decided against it - he was running out of time, and he doubted anyone would care what he was wearing when they heard there was a threat against the royal family.

He hurried out of his bedroom and glanced this way and that down the corridor, wondering where the others would be. He decided to go to his parent's sleeping chambers since they were likely going to be in bed at this point, but when he knocked on their door there was no answer. He then went to Elliot and Isabel's sleeping quarters nearby, but once again it was empty.

 _Where is everybody?_

Trying hard to think, he hurried back down the corridor toward the main entrance hall, thinking he would run into Sir Taylor or one of the other guardsmen. He ran down the large sweeping staircase onto the first floor and hurried down the corridor toward the main hall.

He pushed open the large double doors, and was immediately met by his entire family and several guardsmen standing around the spacious room, staring at him.

Christian was shocked to see all of them in one place like this, and for a moment or two nobody said anything. Suddenly, Carrick moved forward and glared at his son with a mixture of shock and anger.

"Christian - where the hell have you been?" he snapped. "You were supposed to be here with all of us, and you were not in your chambers! The guards have been out looking for you for over an hour - we've been out of our minds with worry!"

"Er..." Christian hesitated, staring warily at his father. He felt all the others staring at him at him, and it made him uncomfortable.

"Christian?"

Christian looked over and saw a young woman with dark ringlets step forward, gazing at him in concern. He felt all the blood drain from his face as he stared back at her, realizing why his family had gathered together this evening and why they had expected him to be present.

Duchess Susanna had arrived at Grey Castle.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the cliffy lol. Hope you liked this chapter! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think :)**

 **Check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	12. Choices Made

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Choices Made**

"Duchess Susanna," Christian said, his tone conveying his surprise at seeing the duchess standing before him. He was still reeling from everything that had happened this evening, and he quickly cleared his throat. "I, er… I'm sorry, I did not realize you would be here at Grey Castle this evening."

Susanna gave him a slightly confused look. "You didn't? I had announced my coming to Grey Castle weeks ago."

"I had reminded you of her arrival just this morning, Christian," Grace scolded her son. "I said that you needed to be here in the main hall after dinner by sundown for when her carriages would arrive. Your absent-minded behavior has become downright disrespectful!"

"I am sorry, Mother," Christian apologized quickly. "And I'm sorry, Susanna, for forgetting about your arrival. But something urgent has happened and I need to speak with my father about it immediately."

"Why are you dressed like a stable boy?" Carrick interrupted, staring down at Christian's rather undistinguished attire with a heavy frown on his face. "What on earth has happened to you, Christian?"

"I need to speak with you now," Christian insisted. His tone of voice finally seemed to convey the importance of what he had to say, and Carrick conceded.

"Come," he growled, grasping Christian by the arm and directing him back out the corridor. "You better have a damn good explanation as to what the hell you've been up to."

"Shall we remain here then?" Susanna asked, glancing between Carrick and Grace with a frown on her face.

"Since Christian has finally chosen to show his face now, I suppose you can go upstairs to your sleeping chambers and rest after your long journey," Grace said, gesturing for Susanna to follow her toward the large staircase at the other end of the hall. "Some of our guardsmen will help you with your things."

"Thank you, My Queen," Susanna said to Grace gratefully. She, Grace, Amelia, Isabel, and the guards all began to make their way toward the stairs.

Even though the main hall was emptying, Carrick still pulled Christian out into the corridor, Elliot hurrying after them. The king's study was nearby, so the three men headed inside before the door shut behind them.

"Father, you and Amelia are in danger," Christian said to his father without preamble. "I heard news of a plot amongst some people in town who intend to kidnap Amelia and hold her for ransom until you give up the throne. They sound like dangerous people, Father - we need to protect Amelia at all costs."

"What?" Carrick stared at Christian, momentarily shocked beyond words. "You heard about this tonight? What were you doing out?"

"That's not important," Christian brushed off quickly. "It's more important that we protect Mia."

"Oh, I think it is very important to know why you were sneaking off," Carrick countered angrily. "And Amelia is very well protected within the walls of this castle, as you are already aware of. Answer the question - what were you doing sneaking out of the castle?"

Carrick continued to glare at Christian, who didn't know how to respond. The king's staunch demeanor made Christian wonder if he already had some idea of what he had been doing, and glancing over at Elliot seemed to only confirm his suspicion.

"You told him," Christian said to Elliot, glaring at him in an accusing way. Elliot blinked guiltily, looking over at Carrick.

"No one could find you, Christian," Elliot said after a moment, sounding defensive. "And Mother and Father were really worried. I had a feeling I knew where you had sneaked off to, and I had told them my suspicions about who you were with a few moments before you turned up."

Christian felt his heart sink into his stomach, dread filling his body like a seeping poison. "What the hell, Elliot?" he snapped angrily. "You had no right!"

"He had every right!" Carrick yelled, silencing Christian. "You were sneaking into town to fraternize with some shoemaker's daughter! To think that the prince of Grey Castle was lowering himself to such a standard is utterly deplorable… I cannot imagine the shame that this would bring upon our family if word got out about your little affair."

Christian bristled, angry almost beyond words at his father's attitude. "Don't talk about her like that," he growled. "You do not even know her. How could you speak like that of one of our own subjects?"

"I know enough to know that this girl is just some trollop hoping to gain something from our family by associating herself with you," Carrick insisted. "Have some common sense, Christian!"

Before Christian knew it, he was advancing angrily at his father, and Elliot had to move forward quickly in order to hold his brother back.

" _Shut up!_ " he roared, struggling to free himself from Elliot's grasp. "You know nothing about her! You know nothing about _us_!"

"Calm down, Brother," Elliot grit out, holding Christian back until he stopped struggling. "I'm sorry, Christian, but Father is right. You swore to me that you would not sneak out to see that girl again because you knew it would only end in trouble."

"Trouble from whom exactly?" Christian snapped. "This family is the only one who seems to care such a great deal about social classes. I would not have to hide my love for her if not for all of you!"

"Christian, we care about our station in life because we do not have the luxury of not caring," Carrick said firmly, his angry expression not wavering. "You are betrothed to Duchess Susanna for a reason - marriage for royals like us need to forge political alliances and bring countries together. You cannot be caught up in tawdry affairs with young women from all over town."

"I am not sleeping around with random women, Father - there is only one woman, and I love her," Christian said insistently. "I want to marry her instead of Susanna."

His statement was met with complete silence, though Elliot shook his head before looking down, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Don't be stupid, son," Carrick said in a warning voice. "You are not marrying a commoner."

"Well, I am not marrying Susanna," Christian said staunchly. "You cannot make me do it."

"Christian, stop this," Elliot snapped angrily. "You are acting like a child."

"Why? Because I want to be happy?" Christian rounded on Elliot. "Have you forgotten that _you_ had wanted that at one point in your life as well, Elliot?"

"Christian, whatever you feel for this other girl will wane," Carrick said in a voice of forced calm. "Susanna is from a good family and is considered respectable and trustworthy. Your union with her will help us forge a beneficial alliance with the Hertfordshire province."

"Hertfordshire has been our ally for generations now," Christian snapped back. "My union with Susanna would not change a damn thing and you know it! You just don't want me to choose my spouse because you do not trust my judgement."

"I have every reason not to," Carrick frowned angrily. "You are still young and impressionable, Christian, but when it comes to matters of the heart, I will not mince words with you. Young ladies who are from a lower class will only see men like you for your wealth and power - they will deceive you in an effort to take everything away from you, and they cannot be trusted."

Christian shook his head, anger and a whole plethora of other emotions filling his body, causing the sting of tears to burn his eyes and the back of his throat. "No," he said insistently, his voice breaking. "She is not like that, Father. She loves me for me, and I love her for her - neither of us expected this to happen between us, but somehow it did. I love her, Father, and leaving her would be like leaving a piece of myself behind. I could not bear it."

Carrick stared at his son, a furrow in his brow as if he were trying to contemplate something. "Have you lain with her, Christian?" he asked seriously.

Christian did not answer, though he looked away from his father after a moment, only confirming his suspicions. This was never a discussion he wanted to have with his father, though he suspected there was no turning back now.

Carrick shook his head in obvious disappointment, bringing his hand up to his forehead wearily. "Good Lord, Christian, I cannot believe you. You are incapable of keeping your emotions in check, and now you have acted in such a manner that could ruin the reputation of our entire family - and for what? Some shoemaker's daughter?"

"She is not just some shoemaker's daughter," Christian insisted. "I love her and I wish to marry her."

"We all wish for many things, Christian, but that does not mean we can act upon every one of our desires," Carrick said firmly. "You will leave this girl behind and you will marry the duchess - end of discussion."

"You are not even listening to me -!" Christian began heatedly, but Elliot interrupted him.

"Stop it, Christian - Father is right," he said in a calm yet insistent voice. "Your liaison with that girl may have been fun, but it has to end, for the sake of our family. Please, do not make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Christian looked between Elliot and his father, trying to contain his rage. Right at this moment, he hated them more than anybody else in the world, but he could not seem to be able to find the words to express his anger. For the first time in his life, he wished he were not a part of this family and that he would be free to marry whom he wished.

Scowling heavily, Christian shoved past the two of them and headed for the door. He grasped the door handle, but didn't open it - he turned back to his father.

"Just so you know, if not for her I would not have learned about that plot to kidnap Amelia," Christian said coldly. "I hope you remember that."

He yanked open the study door and stalked out into the corridor. Outside stood Grace and Amelia, both of them gazing at Christian with wide, concerned eyes.

"Christian, what is happening?" Amelia asked, gazing up at her big brother fearfully. Christian approached her and placed both hands upon her shoulders, leaning down so he was eye-level with her.

"Listen to me Amelia," he said seriously, gazing into her worried brown eyes. "You need to stay here inside the castle for the foreseeable future. I learned of an evil plot that is forming in town, and you need to stay here where it is safe. Make sure you are with the guardsmen at all times, and do not under any circumstances take the carriage out into town or speak to strangers. Do you understand me?"

Still looking rather frightened, Amelia silently nodded her head. Christian nodded as well before dropping his hands from her shoulders and walking past her and Grace without another word. Elliot and Carrick stepped out of the study and into the corridor, the four of them watching Christian stalk away toward his sleeping chambers.

"Come here, Mia," Elliot said quietly, holding out his hand for his sister to take. Amelia immediately grasped his hand with both of her own, and the two of them made their way after Christian toward their own sleeping chambers.

"Is our daughter in danger, Carrick?" Grace turned to gaze worriedly at her husband. "Is what Christian said true?"

"I do not know, my love, but we will take all the proper precautions to ensure she is properly protected," Carrick said, grimacing as he gazed down the corridor after his children. "Though it is not only Mia whom I am worried about."

"Elliot had mentioned Christian was infatuated with a young woman from town," Grace said. "Is that true as well?"

"Unfortunately yes. When I told Christian he needed to forget this commoner and marry Susanna instead, he became quite upset. As if our family's name and reputation means absolutely nothing to him... apparently this young trollop has caused him to completely lose his head."

"He is in love, darling - you do not need to be so hard on him for it," Grace pointed out gently. "Love does not follow a set of rules, nor does it care for social classes or reputations."

"So you want him to ignore his betrothal to the duchess and marry this town girl instead?" Carrick frowned at his wife disbelievingly.

"No, I do not. But I also do not believe that you ought to punish him for having feelings," Grace said, giving Carrick a stern yet loving look. Carrick gazed at her for a moment before sighing.

"I suppose you are right," he conceded, offering Grace his arm. The two of them began to walk together down the corridor. "I will speak with him in the morning, when perhaps he is a bit less hotheaded."

Grace nodded in agreement, and the two of them began to head upstairs to their sleeping chambers.

* * *

Christian paced the length of his entire bedroom for the thousandth time now, rage and anger at his father and brother continuing to burn inside of his body, making him restless. How dare they make assumptions about Anastasia when they did not know a single thing about her! Despite how much he loved her, Christian knew he was not completely blinded by his feelings - Anastasia had never been after his wealth, he knew. She had the kindest, purest, most selfless heart he had ever known, and it was one of the reasons why he loved her.

The duchess was a perfectly nice woman, but Christian knew his feelings for her did not extend past polite acquaintances. The very idea of marrying her when he felt so strongly for another was utterly abhorrent to him.

Christian suddenly paused in his pacing, his fists clenched at his sides as he thought about his current situation. His father had made it abundantly clear that he would never be allowed to marry a commoner, and that he ought to give up any hope of following his heart since all it seemed to do was clash with his family's expectations.

 _That settles it then._

Christian quickly strode over to the chest at the foot of his bed and pulled out his empty rucksack. He then gathered together some clothes, shoes, a small sack of gold, and a few apples from the fruit bowl near his window - he piled them all into his bag before fastening it closed and hoisting it up over his shoulder.

Without a backwards glance, Christian walked over to his window and stepped out onto the ledge as he had done many times before, edging along it before jumping down onto the dark ground beneath him.

If his family did not want him to be happy, then there was no point in being a part of it any longer.

* * *

 **A/N: And the drama continues! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter - if you did, please leave a review :)**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story too at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	13. Love So Deep

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Love So Deep**

Anastasia was having trouble getting to sleep tonight after everything that had occurred. She tossed and turned in bed for what felt like hours, her mind filling with a million thoughts that refused to give her a moment's peace - did Christian make it back to the castle? Was he able to warn his family about the plot to kidnap Amelia? What if danger had befallen him on his way there and he was unable to get to the castle on time? These worries persisted, and Anastasia found herself staring at her ceiling in the dead of night, unable to find any rest whatsoever.

The cathedral bells chimed far in the distance, marking the hour. It was now midnight, and Anastasia let out a sigh - she hated lying awake at night, and she wished fervently she was not alone in the house. Her father and uncle were not due back from Brighton until tomorrow afternoon, however, and she had no idea when she would see Christian next. She missed the comfort of sleeping beside him in her bed, her body curled up against his with no clothes on either of their bodies, both of them basking in the glow of their post-coital bliss.

Anastasia closed her eyes and let out a contented sigh, thinking back to those wonderful memories she had shared with Christian the previous evening. It calmed her in a way nothing else could, and for a few minutes she finally found herself drifting into a restful sleep.

A sudden loud, urgent knock on the front door downstairs caused Anastasia to jump out of her doze, her heart pounding in her chest.

The knocking came again, and Anastasia quickly scrambled to her feet, frightened of who could be downstairs. Trembling in fear, she grabbed her shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders before grabbing the lantern sitting atop her nightstand. She lit it with trembling fingers, and the dim glow helped her way down the stairs as she hesitantly approached the front door.

The knocking came once again, and Anastasia tried to swallow down her fear as she finally addressed the person: "Who is it?" she asked loudly, gripping the lantern tightly in her hand, preparing to defend herself if need be.

"Anastasia, it is me," Christian's voice came from the other side, and Anastasia's fear immediately disappeared.

"Christian," she breathed, unbolting the door and opening it, seeing him standing on her threshold. "God, you frightened me - I thought you were a thief trying to break in! What are you doing here?"

Anastasia noticed that Christian looked utterly miserable, and that he was carrying a rucksack over his shoulder. "I am sorry for frightening you," he said sincerely. "I knocked loudly because I thought you might have been asleep. May I come in?"

Anastasia quickly stepped aside, and he walked past her into the shop. She closed the door and bolted it shut before turning to look back at him.

"What are you doing back here, Christian?" Anastasia asked once again, setting down her lantern on a nearby table before pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "I thought you had gone back to the castle to warn your family about the plot to kidnap the princess?"

"I did," Christian stated, still looking miserable. "I had sneaked back into the castle and went to find my family, but as it turned out they were all waiting for me - the Duchess Susanna had arrived this evening and I was meant to greet her, but nobody in the castle could find me. When I finally came back to warn my family, they found out the truth."

Anastasia's heart pounded in her chest, dread filling her body as she realized what he was saying. "They know about us?"

Christian nodded, still looking forlorn. "It was horrible - I've rarely seen my father so angry at me. He does not even know you, and yet he called you so many wretched, awful names. I could not bear to stay there any longer."

"Did you at least tell him about the danger your sister is in?" Anastasia asked, trying not to dwell on how much Christian's family hated her.

"I did, and I truly hope he listened to me. Amelia should be safe so long as she stays within the castle," Christian said firmly. He hoisted his rucksack more firmly upon his shoulder, and Anastasia glanced at it with a small frown on her face.

"Why did you come back here, Christian?" she asked, gazing at his face and trying to decipher his expression. "Why do you have a rucksack with you?"

Christian looked down at his feet before shaking his head. "I cannot stay there anymore, Anastasia…" he said quietly, looking back up at her with a pained expression on his face. "The things my father was saying about you… he told me I had no choice but to marry Susanna, and because of that I could never see you again. However, I cannot bear the thought of being apart from you… he cannot stop me if he does not know where you and I are. We can start a new life together and leave all of this behind."

Once again, Anastasia felt her heart pounding in her chest as she realized what he was saying. "Christian," she whispered, shaking her head slightly. "We can't…"

"Yes we can, Anastasia - my father cannot dictate my life like this," Christian snapped angrily, though Anastasia knew his anger was directed toward his father and not her. "Do I not have a right to be happy? Must I bend to some arbitrary rule just because my father says I must? I am my own man, and I can choose my own destiny. You and I want to be together, and we shall be. We shall run away together and leave all of this foolishness behind. Just you and me, Anastasia - it will be perfect."

"Christian, I cannot just run away in the middle of the night," Anastasia said, gazing imploringly up at him. "What about my father? He and I depend on each other, and I could not bear to leave him and our livelihood behind like this."

"Your father can come with us," Christian said, as if it were the obvious solution. "The three of us will begin a new life together, far away from this town, and your father can open a brand new shoe shop. You and I will be wed, and everything shall work out as it was always intended."

"I cannot ask my father to uproot his life like that at a moment's notice, especially since we just did that scarcely a month ago," Anastasia pointed out. "He does not even know you, and I guarantee you he will be angry and suspicious of you if you make him do this. Besides, what about your own family?"

"I do not care about them," Christian spat out with vitriol.

"Yes you do, Christian," Anastasia insisted. "They are your family - of course you care about them. Abandoning them in anger like this will not change that, and running away could cause irreparable damage to your relationship with them. Do you truly want that?"

"They have no care or concern about my feelings, Anastasia," Christian said angrily. "There is no place for me in a family like that."

"They do care about you Christian - they are not trying to be cruel toward you by having you marry someone else. What about your sister, or your mother? Are you willing to leave them forever simply because you are angry at your father?"

Christian briefly seemed to be at a loss for words. "I know that I want to be with you," he said after a moment. "Do you not want to be with me?"

"Of course I do, Christian," Anastasia said, her eyes unwittingly filling with tears. "But not like this. This cannot be the way - it is dishonorable. Your family may dislike me now, but how much will they truly hate me when they find out that I have seduced away their son, the prince of Grey Castle, from his own home?"

"It does not matter - we shall be free and far away from Grey Castle by the time they realize I am even gone!"

"Christian," Anastasia said in a defeated voice, and she shook her head again. "Please stop this. I could never live with myself knowing that I was the reason your family was torn apart. We cannot do it like this."

Christian did not say anything, but he only stared at Anastasia, realization dawning on his face. "Do you… do you want me to marry the duchess?"

Anastasia stared back at Christian, her lip trembling slightly as tears finally began to slip down her face. "I do not know," she admitted, her voice thick with emotion. "The thought of you marrying somebody else cuts through my heart like a knife, and it hurts me more than I can possibly say. I wish more than anything that our situations in life could be different, but I know that there is no changing the inevitable. Our relationship was always meant to end."

Christian went silent. He lowered his head in an attempt to contain his emotions, but his shoulders began to shake slightly, and Anastasia immediately stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly, and he didn't hesitate to hug her back, burying his face in the crook of her neck while squeezing his eyes shut.

"I do not know if I can do it, Anastasia," Christian whispered against her skin. "After having known you… I cannot go back to the castle and marry someone I do not love. The very idea is abhorrent to me."

Tears began to stream down Anastasia's face. "I love you Christian," she whispered. "I only want what is best for you, and if the duchess was chosen for you, then she is worthy to be your wife."

Christian didn't respond, though he tightened his hold around Anastasia, not wanting to let her go anytime soon. Anastasia wouldn't let go of him either, and for several long moments, the two of them held on to each other in the darkness of night, nothing but the dim light of the lantern surrounding them.

"It seems cruel," Christian whispered after several moments. "I had never known true love my entire life, and then when I finally find you I learn how amazing and special and all-consuming it is... and then it gets stolen away from me like a thief in the night."

"Do not think of it that way," Anastasia whispered, tears still running down her face while a whole plethora of emotions clenched at her heart. "I will always and forever cherish my time with you, Christian. I have no regrets about us."

Christian held her tighter. "We were never meant to have met one another, you know," he whispered. "I was only riding through town when I glimpsed you for the first time."

Anastasia could not help but smile at the memory. "That is true. We were like two ships passing in the night... and yet we still happened to find each other."

Christian pulled back slightly to gaze straight into her eyes, looking at her with all the deep love he felt for her. He then took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers in a fervent, desperate kiss. Anastasia did not hesitate to kiss him back, holding him tightly. She opened her mouth against his, and for several blissful moments, they explored each other's mouths with a passion neither of them had exhibited before.

"...I want you, Anastasia," Christian whispered, finally pulling away to gaze straight into her eyes. "Just one last time… please. I need you."

"Yes," Anastasia breathed, tears still in her eyes. No matter what was going to happen to them, she knew that she wanted to have at least one more memory of the two of them together.

Christian immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and lifted her up in his arms. He walked them over to the staircase leading up to the apartment, and chuckled as Anastasia wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed kisses along his neck and jawline.

"Oh, I have missed you my love," Christian murmured, walking into Anastasia's bedroom and setting her down on the bed. "I never want us to forget our time together, no matter how brief it may have been."

"Quiet now," Anastasia shushed, pulling Christian's face to her own and kissing him once again. They continued to nip and lick and suck each other's mouths as they slowly and gently pulled off each other's clothing. Christian pulled the straps of Anastasia's nightgown down her arms to reveal her breasts, and he began fondling them with his hands as he continued to kiss her.

"You are so beautiful, Anastasia," Christian whispered against her lips. Anastasia finished unbuttoning his shirt before pushing it off his shoulders. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," Anastasia breathed, and in a moment they were kissing again, running their hands along each other's bodies and reveling in the wonderful sensations they were experiencing. While their first time making love had been incredible, there was something so primal about this time - their kisses were desperate, and their hands were touching every area of skin they could reach. It was as if they were trying to memorize every touch, every emotion being conveyed through their hands, because they knew it would never be like this again.

Anastasia wrapped her arms around Christian's broad back as he nipped his way up her neck and to her earlobe. They both moaned, and Christian finally reached down to push his trousers down and off his legs.

"Look at me, Anastasia," he whispered before slowly pushing his way in.

Anastasia could only stare into Christian's beautiful gray eyes as he filled her, letting out a whimper at the fullness she felt. Christian began to move, continuing to gaze into her eyes, and Anastasia didn't think she had ever felt emotions more powerful or real in her entire life. Her love for Christian burned inside of her like a flame consuming her body in an inferno, and tears began to sting in her eyes as she thought about the true depths of her love for Christian.

A love that made this final goodbye all the more heartbreaking.

"I love you Anastasia," Christian grit out, pushing his way deep inside her and causing her to gasp in pleasure. "Be here with me, in this moment. Feel my love for you."

He increased his pace, and Anastasia held onto him tighter, her whole body awash with sensation. She began climbing higher and higher, and her mind could not comprehend anything but this powerful feeling coiling deep inside of her.

"Christian," she whimpered, still gazing into his eyes and memorizing every aspect of his beautiful face.

"Come with me, Anastasia," Christian hissed, thrusting even harder inside of her. On cue, it seemed, Anastasia erupted into an amazing orgasm, arching her back as she came hard against him. Christian grunted as he came inside of her, and Anastasia could no longer contain her emotions. She allowed the tears to freely fall out of her eyes, letting out every feeling she had kept bottled up inside of her.

 _I love him so much._

"Shh," Christian whispered, leaning up to kiss the tears out of her eyes. "Please do not cry, my love."

The tears continued to fall, and Anastasia could not tell if they were from a place of joy or sadness. She instead just held Christian in her arms, unwilling to let him go just yet.

"I love you, Christian," she whispered, knowing that nothing else she could say would properly convey the extent of her feelings for him.

"And I love you, Anastasia," Christian whispered, lifting his face so he could look into her eyes. "Forever, and for the rest of my life… I will always love you."

Anastasia leaned up to kiss him, tears still streaming down her face, and she made sure to remember this moment, to capture it in her heart and treasure it for the rest of her life. Exhaustion soon began to overtake her body, however, and she felt herself start to drift off, but her last memory was of still holding Christian in her arms, and him still whispering sweet words into her ear.

* * *

The sun had come up over the horizon, meaning that it was late morning when Anastasia finally stirred awake. Her quilt covered her naked body, though she could not remember having gone underneath it at all during the night. Her body felt very tired and heavy from exhaustion, and her sluggish brain could not comprehend why she felt so miserable.

She glanced over at the empty space beside her on the bed, noticing the blankets were rumpled and messy from somebody having slept there last night. She looked up toward her window and saw that it was slightly ajar. Her heart caught in her throat.

 _Christian._

The tears immediately sprang into Anastasia's eyes as she realized what had happened, and she fully understood the gravity of the decision she had made. Trying to quell her emotions, she brushed her hand along quilt beside her, cherishing the idea of Christian having slept there last night.

She glanced over to the pillow and noticed a piece of folded parchment that had been placed there. She stared at it for a moment before picking it up and reading it:

 _I shall never forget you, my dear sweet Anastasia._

 _I will treasure our time together for the rest of my life. I love you._

 _-C_

Anastasia could bear it no longer - she dissolved into tears, clutching the note in her hand as if it were her lifeline. And in a way it was, since she knew it was the last piece of Christian she would ever get to have.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry this chapter had to end like this :( I know that many of you REALLY wanted Christian and Anastasia to run away together, but the truth is that it wouldn't have been a very good idea, for many reasons. However, I do promise this will be HEA! You just have to hold out a little longer.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this chapter anyway :) If you did, please leave a review, and make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	14. Save Me

**A/N: Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and support! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Save Me**

Christian had made it back to the castle before the sun rose that morning, having left a note on Anastasia's pillow before he left. It was a note that seemed utterly insufficient to express the true extent of his love for her, but at least it could be something for her to hold onto and remember him by. He still had the felt flower she had given him when they had first met, and right now he clutched it in his hand as he sat on the sill of his bedroom window, gazing out toward the horizon as the sun slowly rose into the sky.

His thoughts were on Anastasia - the vision of her lying in bed, fast asleep and completely naked in the early morning light, her chestnut hair spread out over her pillow like an angelic halo. She was so beautiful, and he could have laid there and gazed at her gorgeous face forever, but instead he pulled her quilt up over her naked body and slipped away out of the window, never to see her again.

Christian looked down at the felt flower in his hand, his heart filling with a painful mixture of love and sadness. He swallowed down his emotions before closing his fingers around the soft material.

There was a light knock at his door. "Prince Christian, your family is gathering in the dining hall for breakfast," a guardsman spoke through the wooden door.

"I'll be right down," Christian called back, loud enough to be heard through the door. The guardsman's footsteps walked away down the corridor.

Christian let out a sigh as he got heavily to his feet, feeling exhausted and miserable. He still had not changed out of his servant garb from the previous night, and with what little energy he had this morning, stripped out of his old clothes and changed into an outfit more befitting of a prince. The finely-tailored coat and breeches he had on felt wrong to wear for some reason.

After he deemed himself reasonably presentable, he stepped out of his room and walked down the corridor toward the dining hall, dreading facing his family after everything that had happened last night.

Christian turned the corner and spotted Susanna standing alone in front of a nearby window, gazing out toward the horizon. She turned around as she heard Christian approach down the corridor.

"Prince Christian," she greeted, smiling gently at him. She was already dressed for the day in a fine lace gown and her brown hair pulled back in a low chignon - she looked every bit the royalty she was meant to be.

"Duchess Susanna," Christian greeted her politely, bowing his head slightly in respect. "Are you going to eat breakfast with us in the dining hall?"

"I was just on my way there, but I stopped here to enjoy the view," she said, gesturing toward the window. "The pastures here are so lovely, especially when the light of the rising sun hits the treetops."

"The meadow is my favorite," Christian said quietly. Susanna smiled at him.

"I am sure it is lovely."

Feeling it would be rude not to do so, Christian silently stepped forward and held out his forearm for Susanna to take. Smiling gratefully up at him, Susanna took his proffered arm and the two of them began to walk arm-in-arm down the corridor toward the dining hall.

"I wanted to apologize to you, Christian, as I had not meant to take you by surprise last night with my arrival to Grey Castle," Susanna said as they walked along. "I hope I did not cause any sort of problems for you or your family when I came."

"Of course not," Christian said, though he could not help but privately think the opposite. "I am sorry you had to be caught up in the midst of our family quarrel. I truly hope you were not made to feel too uncomfortable by it."

"It is quite alright - families fight all the time," Susanna chuckled. "I myself tend to get in mindless squabbles with my sister on a daily basis. I do hope everything has been resolved amongst your family, however."

Christian didn't respond for a moment or two. "It is complicated," he said quietly. "And it is rather difficult to explain. It may be best if you do not become too involved."

"It is none of my business," Susanna agreed. "Though, for what it is worth, I do believe everything will work out for the best."

Christian didn't respond, and the two of them made it to the dining hall. A nearby guardsman opened the door for them, and they walked inside to see the Grey family already seated around the table.

All of them looked up as Susanna and Christian walked inside. Nobody said anything, although King Carrick's smile was evident when he noticed Susanna's hand hooked through Christian's elbow.

"Good morning, everyone," Susanna greeted everyone cordially, letting go of Christian's arm to walk over to her seat beside Isabel.

"Good morning, Susanna," Grace smiled sweetly at her. "Please, help yourself to whatever you would like. We have poached eggs, toasted bread, an assortment of fruits, and also there is a pot of tea by the fire…"

Christian silently made his way to his seat beside his sister, who smiled up at him as he sat down. He glanced over to his father, who was still gazing at him, and Christian quickly looked away, pulling a platter of corned beef hash toward him and spooning some onto his plate.

Breakfast commenced normally with small talk amongst all the whole Grey family and Susanna. Christian did not try to participate in the conversation, but thankfully nobody seemed to be shunning him due to his wretched behavior last night. It was difficult to believe he had almost run away from the castle last night and left them forever.

His mind yet again drifted to Anastasia, but he quickly tried to quash his thoughts about her, his heart clenching with feelings more profound than he wanted to face right now.

When breakfast was over with and everyone began to disperse toward other areas of the castle, Carrick approached Christian before he could leave:

"Christian, may I have a word with you?" he asked quietly so the others around them would not hear.

Christian didn't say anything, but silently followed his father down the corridor toward his study. Carrick stepped inside after Christian and shut the door after them.

"I just wanted to say that I am sorry, Christian," he began, and Christian, who has been gazing down at a spot on the floor, finally looked up at his father. "I overreacted last night upon hearing the news of your affair with that town girl, and I became angrier than I should have. I lashed out at you, and it was wrong of me. I apologize."

Christian did not say anything, but rather continued to look at his father, his heart pounding a hopeful rhythm in his chest. Was it too much to hope that the king would allow him to be with the woman he loved?

"Do not mistake me - I do believe you should still marry Susanna," Carrick went on firmly, and Christian's heart immediately sank into his stomach. "Though I understand that you have experienced real feelings for this other girl, and I should not have dismissed you like I had done last night. For that, I am sorry."

Christian still remained silent, still not wanting to say anything. His father was trying to reach out to him, Christian knew, and he did not want to appear ungrateful by reiterating his point from last night.

"Your mother and I love you, Son," Carrick went on, stepping forward and placing his hand upon Christian's shoulder. "And we only want what is best for you. We have all known Susanna's family for many years, and she is in and of herself a very upstanding, respectable and trustworthy woman - that is why your mother and I betrothed her to you. Trust is an essential part of being associated with our family, and not merely money or status. Do you understand?"

Christian knew his father was trying to kindly dissuade any ideas of him being with Anastasia, and he nodded stiffly, not wanting to cause another row.

"That is very mature of you, Son," Carrick said with an understanding smile. "I know that you are unhappy and angry right now, but I promise you the feeling will fade away over time. And your nuptials with Susanna will not happen for at least few months, which will give your mother and sister plenty time to help you plan everything."

The mention of Grace and Amelia caused Christian to crack a small smile. He felt a small clench of what felt like guilt in his stomach when he realized how much his father truly cared about him, despite their argument. Christian had very nearly run away last night due to how angry and upset he felt, and the reality of him doing that suddenly weighed down him, causing tears to build up in his eyes.

"…I am sorry, Father," he said quietly after a moment, the emotion clenching at his heart. He cleared his throat. "For my behavior last night. It was rude and disrespectful… I really am sorry."

Carrick didn't say anything, instead stepping forward and pulling his son into a fatherly embrace. Christian hugged him back, trying to control his emotions as he did so.

"I am sorry too," Carrick said quietly, finally pulling away after several long moments. "I hope we can begin to put all of this behind us. Let us focus on spending time together as a family today, shall we?"

Christian agreed, but his mind could not help but stray to his sister and the potential danger she was in. "Did you at least listen when I told you about the threat I'd heard about against Amelia? I was serious about that when I told it to you, and I feel that we ought to take proper precautions."

"Do not worry, Christian, I took your warning about Amelia very seriously," Carrick assured him. "She has not left the castle at all since yesterday, and she had guardsmen standing outside her bedroom door all last night. And today, all of us are going to keep her in our sights to ensure nothing bad can happen."

"Are you sure that is enough, though?" Christian asked worriedly.

"Of course it will be - who better to keep a close eye on her than her own family?" Carrick said, moving toward the study door and opening it. He and Christian stepped out and began walking together down the corridor. "Me, your mother, your siblings - even your Uncle Jack has offered to watch over her with the rest of us. Her safety is guaranteed amongst all of us within the walls of this castle, Christian, let me assure you."

Christian nodded, feeling a bit better by his father's reassuring words, and the two of them continued to head down the corridor toward where the rest of their family was.

* * *

"Anastasia?" Raymond called when he walked through the door of his shop, lugging in the trunk he had brought along on his trip to Brighton. He and Alistair had had made a decent amount of money with the work that they had done on this business trip, but he had dearly missed his shop and his daughter Anastasia.

A flurry of chestnut hair rushed down the steps and catapulted into Raymond's chest, hugging him tightly around the middle. Raymond stumbled backward slightly upon impact, surprised and amused at Anastasia greeting him in such an exuberant manner.

"Well, hello there, my sweet girl," he chuckled, embracing his daughter back. "To what do I owe this pleasant greeting?"

Anastasia pulled back slightly to look up into her father's face. "I just missed you, that's all."

She smiled at him, but Raymond could see the sadness clouding her beautiful blue eyes. He placed a hand on her cheek, gazing at her concernedly.

"Are you alright, Anastasia?" he asked seriously. "Did something happen while your uncle and I were away?"

There was a flicker of something in Anastasia's expression, but she quickly blinked and gave him an insincere smile. "No, nothing happened Father. I am just happy to no longer be alone in the house with nothing to occupy my time. This whole town is still rather unfamiliar to me, and I am happy you are home. That's all."

Raymond nodded, though he still felt rather concerned. He had rarely seen his daughter look so miserable, but he decided not to press the issue if she did not feel like talking about it.

"Let me help you with your things," Anastasia said, gesturing toward his trunk, and together the two of them worked to carry it upstairs into his bedroom.

Anastasia had tried her hardest to hide how miserable she was, but of course her father saw right through the facade. The memory of Christian leaving her this morning was too fresh, and far too painful to think about right now, so Anastasia had spent the entire day trying to occupy her mind with anything that could distract her from her heartache. Being alone in the house just made her miserable, however, so she had decided to head down to the market. But being alone in a crowd of townspeople did not seem to help her much either - if anything, it made her feel worse since it reminded her of when she had first met Christian by the apple cart. Deciding she had had enough, she went back home and waited for her father to arrive back from his business trip, eager to see him again.

Now that her father was finally home, Anastasia began to feel a bit better. She sat with him in the dining room, and they discussed his trip to Brighton over dinner. He recounted everything for her in great detail, and Anastasia was happy for the distraction as she listened to him with fervent attention.

Anastasia and Raymond talked for hours, and pretty soon the sun had set along the horizon, casting darkness across the land. Raymond now yawned and stretched, checking his pocketwatch for the time.

"Oh my, I cannot keep my eyes open after this long day on the road," he chuckled tiredly, heaving himself to his feet. "I think I am going to turn in early tonight, darling."

Anastasia's heart sank, wishing he would not leave her alone with her depressing thoughts. "Okay, Father. I think I will stay up a bit longer… perhaps I shall head out to _The Glasgow_ to visit with the other girls in town. Is that alright?"

"Of course it is, my dear," Raymond smiled at her. "Go and have fun with your friends. Just try to be home at a reasonable hour - I shall see you in the morning for when we open up the shop."

Anastasia nodded, and Raymond leaned down to kiss her on the forehead before heading over toward the staircase.

Anastasia sat by herself at the dining table for several moments before letting out a sigh and getting to her feet. She honestly did not feel like going to the pub, but she was too restless and upset to go to bed right now - she figured she could just go for a walk around town to try to clear her head. She doubted it would help, but lying down in the same bed where she and Christian had made love last night was too much for her heart to bear right now.

She pulled on her cloak and stepped outside, starting to walk down the road toward Main Street. The evening was quiet, though there still were a few people walking down the street, most of them likely heading toward the pub. Anastasia went in the opposite direction, past the market and toward the outskirts of town, where all the farms were. About a kilometer outside the city, Anastasia knew was where Grey Castle stood.

She stopped at the end of the road leading out toward the pastures near the castle, and she gazed out into the darkness with her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Down there was where Christian was, most likely with his family and the Duchess. Anastasia knew she should turn back - she ought to go back home and not cause her heart anymore heartache or pain - but the temptation to just see the castle where Christian lived was too strong. Anastasia began to walk down the road, her path lit only by the full moon and the stars scattered across the sky.

After several long minutes of walking down the empty country road, Anastasia came up over the crest of a hill, and finally saw Grey Castle not too far in the distance. The whole castle was surrounded by a great stone wall, and all the windows along the turrets and towers were lit up from the inside, most likely with torches and hearth fires. It was a beautiful sight, and Anastasia felt she could just stand here and stare at it forever. She noticed a small abandoned caretaker's lodge near the side of the road, and she walked over to it so she could appreciate the castle's beauty as long as she liked while staying out of sight from people passing on the road.

This night was extremely quiet, and Anastasia felt a sense of peace wash over her as she sat down on the porch of the lodge, gazing over at Grey Castle. She already missed Christian a great deal, but a part of her felt soothed at the idea that she was closer to him right now. She did not know how long it would be before her heart would heal from this pain she felt, but at least she could hold onto the wonderful memories of being happy and in love, no matter how briefly it may have lasted.

Anastasia wiped a stray tear from her eye, letting out a small sniffle.

As Anastasia wiped her eye, she could not help but notice a strange movement happening right outside the castle near the stables. She quickly blinked and focused on where she had seen the movement, and it came once again - a person was lurking near the stables in a distance, nearly invisible since they were wearing a black cloak with their hood up. The person turned their face this way and that, as if searching for something, and Anastasia realized the person was likely sneaking around looking out for the guards.

Suddenly on high alert, Anastasia got to her feet while continuing to stare at this stranger, trying to figure out what they were doing exactly. There was a large oak tree standing about ten yards ahead of her, and Anastasia quickly darted forward so she could hide behind the trunk, still trying to see what was happening with the cloaked stranger.

For several minutes nothing happened, and the person did not move from their post at the stables. Suddenly, however, two other people came darting out of the shadows from the south side of the castle - it was another cloaked figure, and a young woman in a white dress being dragged by the other person. The young woman was kicking and struggling, desperately trying to escape from the other person's hold, but the cloaked stranger kept a firm hold on her, holding a burlap sack over her head so she could not see. The distinct sound of muffled screams came from the struggling girl, which echoed through the silent night.

The first cloaked person standing near the stables rushed forward and helped drag the struggling woman into the stables and out of Anastasia's line of sight. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as she watched all of this happening, shocked and horrified beyond comprehension. Through her panicked state, Anastasia realized that what she had overheard in the pub several nights ago was what she had just witnessed - Amelia was being kidnapped by Elizabeth and that mysterious cloaked man!

 _Oh God, how is this happening?_

How did these horrible people get in the castle? How did they get access to the princess? And what could Anastasia do about it? About a million thoughts burst through her mind at once, but before she could do anything, a horse-drawn cart suddenly pulled out of the stables - the two cloaked strangers sat together on it while a blanket-covered object lay concealed behind them in the back, most likely the princess knocked unconscious. One of the cloaked figures holding the reigns snapped them loudly, and the horses galloped quickly down the driveway toward the front gate, which were suddenly thrown open. The cart began thundering down the road, and Anastasia ducked behind the tree so the strangers would not see her as they passed by.

The cart barreled away toward the town, and Anastasia watched it go, terror seizing her heart. She glanced helplessly around for any of the Grey Castle's guardsmen, but nobody else was in sight. It looked as if these wretched people had gotten away with kidnapping the princess.

Anastasia finally drew in a deep breath and turned back toward the road, starting to run after the cart. No one was going to come and help, so Anastasia knew she would have to be the one to take action - she was the one who had learned about this evil plot in the first place, and she knew she was going to be the one who would have to stop it.

No matter how much it terrified her, Christian's sister needed her.

* * *

 **A/N: Uh oh… shit's about to get real lol. If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review!**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	15. A Betrayal

**A/N: Thank you for all your reviews and support! Here's the next chapter for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: A Betrayal**

Grey Castle was in an uproar.

Guardsmen were shouting and running through the castle, waking up everyone who had been sleeping in their beds. It became apparent almost immediately what had happened - Amelia was gone, and no one could find her.

 _Amelia…_

Christian bolted out of his bedroom and into the corridor when he heard the shouts. The moment he heard Amelia's name being yelled out by the guards, he understood immediately, and he felt as if his entire world had tilted off its axis. His knees weakened to the point where he buckled to the floor, his heart pounding deafeningly in his ears as tears blurred his vision.

Amelia. She was gone.

 _She was supposed to be safe. Why wasn't she kept safe?_

"Out of my way!" Carrick roared, storming down the corridor with Grace rushing along behind him, tears streaming down her face. "What in God's name has happened, Taylor? Where is my daughter?!"

"Your Majesty, she was not in her bedroom when we went for our nightly checks," Taylor explained, sounding urgent. "Her window was flung open and many of her things were tossed about the room, as if there was a struggle."

Grace let out a sob, covering her mouth in horror, and Carrick pushed past Taylor to run into Amelia's room to see for himself. Elliot and Isabel now hurried out of their own sleeping chambers and ran toward the others, Jonathan being cradled tightly in his mother's arms.

"What the hell is going on?" Elliot demanded, looking angry and frightened as he gazed around at everyone. "What happened to Amelia? Where is she?"

Nobody answered, and so Elliot pushed past everyone to bolt for Amelia's room and see for himself. Grace moved over to Christian, who was still on the floor, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She held out her other hand and pulled him to his feet.

"I told him this would happen," Christian whispered, his whole body shaking. His face was white and pale as a ghost. "He promised to keep her safe… he told me she would be safe!"

"I know, darling," Grace whispered, sounding utterly defeated.

"Christian?"

Susanna appeared from around the corner, wearing her dressing gown and holding a candlestick in her hand. She gazed around at everybody with a look of fear on her face. "I heard a commotion… what has happened?"

"It appears as if Amelia has been taken," Grace said quietly. Jonathan began to whimper, and Isabel clutched him tighter in her arms. "We do not know where she has gone."

Susanna brought a hand up to her mouth, looking horrified. Before anyone else could say anything, however, Carrick and Elliot came rushing back out of Amelia's room, their faces pale and angry.

"Search every room of this castle," Carrick demanded of Taylor, his voice shaking as he tried to control his emotions. "We are not going to rest until she is found!"

"Yes your Majesty," Taylor said, and he and several other guardsmen began running down the corridor.

"All of you should gather together in the dining hall," Carrick turned to look at everyone else. "You must stay together until Amelia is found safe… where is Jack? Somebody should go call him from his chambers."

"He is not back yet, I don't think," Susanna said.

The others all turned to look at her, and Carrick frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Susanna blinked, looking confused and a little uncertain. "His sleeping chambers are right next to mine, and I heard him leave his room about an hour ago. I am not sure where he went, but I do not believe he has come back yet."

Christian turned to look at his father, who continued to stare at Susanna as if he was trying to register what she had said. There was some sort of emotion clouding his eyes… it was a fear that Christian had never seen in his father before.

In a moment, Carrick began running down the corridor toward Jack's sleeping chambers. The others quickly followed, almost afraid of what they might find.

Carrick burst through Jack's door without knocking, and everyone rushed in after him. Sure enough, the room was completely empty, with Jack's bed perfectly made and his fireplace hearth cold and empty.

"Where is he?" Grace asked, her voice urgent. "This room looks like nobody has been living in it for days."

"Here," Elliot strode over to the desk beside the bed, where a one-page note lay flat upon the wooden surface. "Did Uncle Jack write this?"

"Let me see," Carrick demanded, taking the candlestick from Susanna's hand and striding over the desk. Setting the candle down, he picked up the letter and held it under the light, reading aloud:

 _Carrick,_

 _By now you have likely discovered that Amelia has disappeared from her sleeping chambers. Well do not fret. She is perfectly safe… for now. Amelia is currently with me and an associate of mine in an undisclosed location, and with both of us she shall remain until I decide otherwise._

 _I know that you are asking yourself why someone you have always considered a brother would do something like this. The answer is simple - I want to be king. Theodore may not have been my true father, but he had always treated me like his own flesh and blood, like I was the heir to his throne just as much as you were. He taught me and educated me as much as he did you, and yet YOU were the one to get the throne while I end up with nothing? The injustice of it all is sickening. If you think I have ever cared for you, brother, you could not be more wrong. I have always despised you, and ever since Theodore passed away I have bided my time, studying and learning the ways of being king, preparing myself for when I would finally take the throne from you. The time has come, dear brother, to take what is rightfully mine._

 _You have until tomorrow evening by sundown to cede the throne to me, Carrick. Make it an official announcement for the entire town to hear, and then tell the guardsmen to lock yourself and your entire family in the dungeons. Only then will I return Amelia to you, safe and unharmed, to enjoy the rest of her life with all of you locked in a cell._

 _Until tomorrow then,_

 _Jack_

Carrick finished reading Jack's letter, and the silence that reigned over everyone was deafening. Christian did not know what to think or feel… Uncle Jack had done this to them? Had he been the cloaked man Anastasia said she saw in the pub? It made no sense, and yet it was the truth… Jack had been behind it all. They all now understood what had happened to Amelia, but it was little comfort over the betrayal Jack had cast upon this family.

Carrick was still clutching the letter, though his knuckles had gone white and his hands had begun to shake. The others could only stare at him, none of them knowing what to say or do.

Suddenly, Carrick let out an agonizing yell of despair and rage, and he crumpled the parchment in his hands before slamming it back down on the desk with both hands, causing the candlestick to fall to the ground with a clatter. He then picked up the stool beside the desk and hurled it as hard as he could at the closest wall, causing it to crash and splinter loudly. The others jumped in surprise, though they were too upset and scared to say anything.

" _I will have him hanged for this!_ " he bellowed angrily, his breaths coming in heaving pants. Grace quickly hurried toward him and pulled him into her arms, just in time for him to practically collapse into her, clutching her tightly around the waist as if he were afraid to let go. He buried his face in her shoulder, and Christian could not say he had ever seen his father this upset before. It pained him to watch, and he found himself suddenly missing Anastasia - he wanted more than anything to have her in his arms right now to help bring the comfort he needed during these wretched times.

Carrick suddenly pulled away from Grace, looking into her tear-filled eyes. "We are going to get our daughter back," he said firmly, though his voice shook from the strength of his emotion. "Do you understand me, Grace? We will not be giving into that bastard's demands. He could not have gotten far, and we will send every guard out into town and the surrounding areas. We will not rest until he is found and Amelia is brought home safely. He will _never_ take the throne from me."

He spoke emphatically, but Christian could tell that his was terrified of what could happen if they could not find Jack and Amelia by tomorrow evening. Christian did not want to think about it either, but he hoped that Taylor and the other guardsmen would be able to find them in time.

"I want to help, Father," Elliot said firmly.

"Me too," Christian added.

"You boys are not doing anything - we all need to stay together and keep each other safe," Grace insisted. "All of us will gather in the dining hall right now while Carrick and the guards figure out where to search first."

"But Mother…" Elliot protested.

"Listen to her," Carrick interrupted firmly. "Everyone, go down to the dining hall. I shall be with you shortly and tell you of any updates."

The others had no choice but to agree, and Grace urged them all to head out together into the corridor and go down to the dining hall as a group. Everyone was silent as they walked along, though Jonathan had started crying in his mother's arms. Isabel shushed him soothingly as she followed everybody else down the corridor.

"I cannot believe this," Elliot said quietly to Christian, who walked alongside him. "I mean… Uncle Jack would really do this to us?"

"It's almost unbelievable," Christian whispered, feeling a hollow sort of emptiness in his chest. "It seems as if no matter what we did, Amelia was never going to be safe. This is all our fault."

"This is all Jack's fault," Elliot spit out angrily. "That treacherous little snake took advantage of Father's trust and ruined this family for his own selfish desires!"

"He has not won yet," Christian reminded him. "Father is going to send out Taylor and all the other guardsmen to search for him and Amelia. I am sure they will be found."

Elliot did not answer. They had made it to the dining hall, and everyone piled inside while a couple guardsmen who had come with them shut the large wooden doors behind them. Grace and Susanna then began going around the room, lighting the candles set in sconces along the walls so they could see properly. Christian went to tend to the fireplace while Elliot and Isabel sat down with their son at the table, both of them trying to get him to stop crying.

Once the dining hall was lit properly, there was nothing for them to do but sit and wait for news. Grace and Susanna had sat down together near the far end of the table, talking quietly with one another, and Christian began to pace back and forth along the floor in front of the doors, feeling restless and nervous. There were so many things he wanted to know… he wanted to know what his father was currently doing to find Amelia, and if she was safe right now. He wanted know if Jack was going to pay for what he was doing to this family.

More than anything, though, Christian just wanted Anastasia to be here with him right now. He didn't care what his family thought - he loved her and he needed her support during these terrible times. He wondered where she was and what she was doing right now, and his all-consuming longing for her seemed to just make him feel worse.

He had left her flower in his sleeping chambers, and he suddenly wished to have it with him right now at this moment. He was not doing anything while waiting for his here in the dining hall anyway, so without a second thought he headed toward the dining hall doors to go get it from his room.

"Christian, where are you going?" Grace asked when she saw Christian grab the door handle. The others looked over at him too.

"I am only getting something from my room," Christian explained. "I will be back shortly, I promise."

"I do not think any of us should leave right now, Christian…"

Christian felt a small flare of annoyance. "If Father comes back, tell him where I've gone," he said shortly. He pulled open the door and stepped out without another word.

He was barely a dozen steps down the corridor when he heard name being called out:

"Christian!"

Christian turned to see his father and several other guards walking toward him from an adjacent corridor. Carrick still looked angry and upset from earlier, and he glared at Christian as he approached.

"I told you to wait in the dining hall - where the hell are you going?" he snapped. Christian glared right back at him.

"I was just going to my chambers…" he said, but Carrick interrupted.

"Do not lie to me," he growled. "I swear to God, Christian, if you try sneaking into town right now to see that girl, you will never leave this castle again for as long as you live."

Christian blinked, staring at his father with anger and reproach. "I am _not_ sneaking out, if you must know," he growled, his teeth clenched. "I am merely getting something from my chambers. Or is that too unreasonable for you to believe?"

"Christian..." Carrick began warningly.

"I get that you don't like her, Father, but do not pretend for one moment that you know what she is like," Christian snapped, suddenly feeling fed up with his father insulting Anastasia for no reason. "Trust is an essential part of being associated with our family… isn't that what you said? Well, look where that got you with your own supposed brother! After what Jack has done to this family, do you really think you have any right to berate me on the people I bring into my life?"

Carrick looked too stunned to respond, and Christian did not wait for him to say anything as he turned and stalked down the corridor toward his chambers.

* * *

Anastasia was completely out of breath at this point, her panting becoming almost painful as she kept pushing herself forward, but she had managed to keep the horse-drawn cart within her sights as she ran after it into town. She was thankful it was so dark out since she didn't think anyone had seen her chasing it, and she doubted she was being very stealthy. Anastasia now saw the carriage slow down as it turned a corner up ahead onto a side street, and she quickly darted behind a nearby shop, trying to catch her breath as she watched the horses finally slow to a stop.

"...Come," one of the cloaked figures hissed as he hopped off the cart, his companion getting off after him. "Get her inside - hurry!"

The second cloaked figure moved over to the back of the cart, and Anastasia briefly glimpsed their face by the dim light of the moon. She immediately recognized the person to be Elizabeth.

Anger boiled inside Anastasia's bloodstream - she could not believe this woman who she and the rest of the town had been on friendly terms with would actually do this wretched thing to Princess Amelia! Her duplicitousness would not go unpunished, Anastasia was sure. She watched as Elizabeth and her male friend - most likely the hooded man she saw at _The Glasgow_ \- dragged the unconscious princess out of the cart and pulled her toward a cellar door beside a small rundown flat that appeared nondescript amongst the other surrounding buildings.

Anastasia could only watch as the three of them descended into the cellar and close the door behind them. A few moments later, she saw a dim light appear through a narrow window that was close to the ground, and Anastasia knew that was where they were hiding out.

Anastasia glanced back toward Grey Castle, almost hoping to now see a cavalcade of guardsmen come galloping into town on horses to swoop in and save the princess. However, the streets were empty and the night was silent - Anastasia was not even sure if anyone in the castle knew if the princess was gone yet.

Anastasia turned back to the flat, feeling a mixture of fear and determination fill her body, causing her heart to pound loudly in her ears. She was the only one who knew where Princess Amelia was, therefore she was the one who would have to do something about it.

What could she do though? She had no weapons or fighting experience of any kind, and she also had no idea who the cloaked man was or how dangerous he could be.

None of that would stop her, though - Amelia needed help, and Anastasia was going to be the one to help her.

Feeling more nervous than she had probably ever felt before, Anastasia stepped out from behind the building and sneaked over toward the cellar window where Amelia was being held, hoping to God she could find a way to get inside and help her escape without Elizabeth and the mysterious man knowing.

* * *

 **A/N: Hope you all liked that chapter! If you did, please leave a review :)**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	16. Breaking Point

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Breaking Point**

Anastasia walked swiftly and silently across the darkened street and into a narrow alley adjacent to the flat where Amelia was being held. She backed away into the shadows while managing not to obscure her view as she peered into the small cellar window. She could make out darkened figures passing by across the window and the quiet sounds of two people talking in low voices. There was little else she could make out, however, and she kept craning her neck to see inside, desperate to make sure Amelia was unharmed.

Suddenly, the muffled voices from inside became more urgent, and shadows darted faster in front of the window. Anastasia tried to see what was happening, but her vantage point was too far away - she knew she had to move closer in order to figure out what was happening. After glancing this way and that along the darkened street, Anastasia slipped out of the narrow alley and tiptoed closer to the window, hoping and praying the people inside would not notice her through the darkness.

"Ow! W-Where am I… what have you done to me?" a woman's voice sounded panicked.

There was a distinct smacking sound, followed by a high-pitched yelp. Anastasia peered through the window to see Amelia kneeling on the floor, her hands tied together with a rope and attached to what looked like a bedpost. The man had finally taken the sack from over Amelia's head off and grabbed her by the hair, tugging her roughly to the side. Amelia cried out in pain and terror.

The man had taken his hood off, and Anastasia finally saw his face - he had a scruffy beard and reddish hair. However, his eyes appeared dark and menacing as he glared down at the princess with pure hatred. He hissed something at her that Anastasia could not hear from where she was outside, but when Amelia finally looked up at him, there was unmistakable recognition in her shocked eyes.

"No!" she sobbed, fruitlessly trying to pull away from him, but he kept his firm grip on her hair. Anastasia felt sick watching this, but she forced herself to stay where she was in order to see and hear what was happening.

"Let go of me - please!" Amelia cried. "You're hurting me!"

"Quiet!" the man growled harshly before roughly shoving her away, letting her hair go as he did. Amelia, who had been cowering on her knees, landed roughly to the ground, where she lay face down and could not seem to be able to get up for several moments.

"Why are you doing this to me, Uncle?" Amelia whimpered, looking up at him with scared, heartbroken eyes. "Where is Father?"

Anastasia covered her mouth with her hand. Did Amelia just call that man her uncle?

 _Was he a royal too?_

Anastasia peered through the window again to try to get a better look at him, but had to duck away when she saw the man named Jack move over to the window, peering out of it. She felt scared for a second that he had seen her, but he just glanced aimlessly around at the dark surroundings before suddenly closing the drapes over the window, blocking Anastasia's view of the room. Pressing her lips together in determination, Anastasia moved closer to the window and hid off to the side, keeping her ears perked as she listened to what they were saying inside.

"Keep her quiet, Jack," Anastasia heard Elizabeth snap angrily. "What if the castle guards come by and hear her?"

"They will not think to look here - Carrick knows nothing about the layout of this town. If his guards find us, it will be of pure coincidence, and even then I will not let them come over the threshold."

Anastasia heard a shifting sound, and Elizabeth let out a gasp while Amelia sobbed in fear. Anastasia could not see anything through the thick drapes, but she postulated that Jack had likely pulled out a weapon of some sort.

"Please, Uncle Jack…!" Amelia cried in desperation.

"Silence," Jack hissed at a sobbing Amelia. There was suddenly a loud clunk and the sound of a body hitting floorboards, and then silence.

Anastasia placed a hand over her mouth, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as tears filled her eyes. _What had he done to her?_

"Did you kill her?" Elizabeth asked, echoing Anastasia's thoughts.

"Of course not - I just knocked her out," Jack said dismissively. "Needed to shut the stupid bitch up."

"You really think we can keep her locked up down here for two whole days without anybody finding her?" Elizabeth asked, sounding skeptical. "She's going to wake up again at some point."

"I shall find ways to keep her quiet," Jack said in a low voice. It caused a chill to spread throughout Anastasia's entire body, and her heart began to pound nervously. "I've heard rumors that the apothecary in town here sells a valerian root concoction that can cause one to fall into a deep sleep, sometimes for days on end. Perhaps you or I could pay them a visit sometime tomorrow?"

Elizabeth chuckled, as if amused by the idea of poisoning Amelia with a sleeping draught. Anastasia felt bile rise in her throat, disgusted by these wretched people and what they were trying to do to the royal family. If this Jack person really was a royal, then his actions, while deplorable, rather made sense to Anastasia - perhaps he was jealous of his brother the king? Or perhaps he was just hungry for power? Anastasia's thoughts ran a mile a minute as she tried to figure out what she needed to do next, and the room inside went silent.

Heavy footsteps began to walk across the floorboards, and Anastasia listened for a few moments before the pacing eventually stopped.

"Dear, sweet Amelia…" Jack murmured, and Anastasia could imagine him stopping and gazing down at her. "My my, she has always been such a beautiful little thing…"

Anastasia suddenly felt like she was going to be sick.

"She is still but a young girl, Jack," Elizabeth pointed out.

"Yes, well… we all must grow up at some point," Jack said, his voice tinged with what could only be interpreted as excitement. "Who better to help her along than her dear uncle?"

"You're a pig," Elizabeth stated, though the hint of amusement in her voice made Anastasia's blood boil. "Do what you will, just not while I am in the room."

"Of course not, my dear. You know that you are always my first choice…" Jack said in a voice as silky as a snake.

Elizabeth let out a giggle, obviously meant to sound flirtatious, and Anastasia had heard just about enough - she slowly stood up and edged away from the window, feeling her heart pounding a terrified rhythm in her chest. She needed to get Amelia out of there, right at this moment… if she didn't, Jack was surely going to take her innocence. Anastasia knew she could not let that happen - she had hoped and prayed one of the king's guards would have come riding into town by now, but all the streets remained silent and empty.

She had to do something now. There was simply no other option.

Feeling more terrified than she had probably ever felt in her life, Anastasia tiptoed her way around the building toward the front wall, where there was a door and a porch with an unlit lantern hanging from the rafters. The small lot of grass surrounding it was rather bare and unkempt, but off to the side of the building there was a large pile of firewood and a hatchet.

Anastasia hurried over and picked up the hatchet, feeling the weight of it in her hands. It was heavy, but light enough for her to handle as a weapon in case she needed it. Near the pile of wood, she spotted several other items, including a length of rope, an empty burlap sack half-covered in dirt, and a large wooden bucket filled almost to the brim with water.

An idea began to formulate in Anastasia's brain, and she decided to act upon it before she lost her nerve. Setting down the hatchet, she reached down and picked up the full bucket of water, which was very heavy - hoisting the bucket in both of her hands, she edged back around the side of the building where the firewood pile was and the front door was out of sight. Sending a quick, silent prayer up to God, Anastasia clenched her teeth and lifted one of her feet up before kicking the pile of wood as hard as she could.

CLATTER!

The pile of logs made a loud noise as they tumbled to the ground in a heap. Anastasia felt sure she had woken up the neighbors, but that didn't matter right now - her intention was to draw either Jack or Elizabeth outside and away from Amelia to investigate the noise.

Anastasia waited about thirty seconds or so, her heart pounding a furious rhythm in her ears, before she heard someone tentatively open the front door. Anastasia could not see if it was Jack or Elizabeth, but whoever it was seemed wary about exploring where the noise had come from.

"…Who's there?" Elizabeth spoke up after a moment or two. Anastasia remained silent, still clutching the bucket of water in her hands as she stood out of sight around the side of the building.

"Hello?" Elizabeth called into the night again, taking another tentative step out onto the porch. "Must've been the dogs again…" she muttered after a moment.

Anastasia thought Elizabeth was going to head back inside again, but she suddenly appeared around the corner, coming face-to-face with Anastasia.

Elizabeth's eyes widened with shock, and before she could react, Anastasia had thrown the contents of the bucket onto Elizabeth's head, causing her to stumble backwards, sputtering.

"What the - ?!" she tried to yell, disoriented from being suddenly doused in muddy water, but the next moment Anastasia had swung the heavy bucket up and smashed it against the side of Elizabeth's head, knocking her out.

Elizabeth immediately fell to the ground in an unconscious heap, the force of the bucket having left a gash on the side of her head. Anastasia, panting heavily, dropped the bucket from her hands while feeling a sick pit in her stomach. She could not believe she had just done that - she had never so much as hit someone in her entire life, and she just knocked a woman out cold!

There was no time to dwell on it, however - on shaky legs, Anastasia fumbled over and picked up the hatchet she had set down earlier, hurrying into the flat where Jack and Amelia were.

The place was dirty and unkempt, and much tinier than the place where Anastasia and her father lived. Off to the side, there was a staircase leading down into what was undoubtedly the cellar, and, her heart beating a terrified rhythm in her chest, Anastasia clutched the hatchet tighter in her hands as she stepped forward.

"…Elizabeth?" Jack called from behind the cellar door. "What was that noise?"

Steeling her nerves, Anastasia went down the stairs toward the door, her heart pounding a furious tattoo against her ribcage. Clenching her jaw, she grasped the handle and flung it open.

"Agh…!"

Anastasia was barely able to raise her hatchet behind her head when she was suddenly staring down the barrel of a rifle. Her face drained of all color, but her grip on her weapon didn't lessen.

"Halt!" Jack snarled, pointing his gun right at her. After a moment he seemed to take in Anastasia's appearance, and his angry expression morphed into something more akin to annoyance. He lowered his gun slightly. "Who the hell are you?"

He obviously expected her to be one of the castle guardsman, not some random town girl, but Anastasia hardly cared at the moment. Her eyes moved over to the princess lying in a heap on the floor, her restrained hands still tied to the bedpost.

"You took Princess Amelia," she stated, turning her eyes back toward Jack, ignoring the rifle he kept pointed at her. "I came here to bring her home."

She spoke with more confidence than she felt, and the look of surprise etched on Jack's face was gratifying. "What - you?" he asked, glancing over her in disgust. "Who even are you? You are trespassing on private property right now - give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you where you stand!"

He hoisted the gun up higher so it pointed directly into her face, and Anastasia swallowed, her heart still pounding in terror. She thought of Christian, however, and she gathered her nerve to be brave in the face death.

"…Because the sound of the gunshot will alert the neighbors," Anastasia stated, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "And I doubt you want anybody to know what you have been doing down here. Do you?"

Jack stared at Anastasia for a moment before letting out a laugh - a mocking, condescending laugh that made Anastasia clench her mouth shut. "Oh my - you are a brave one, aren't you?" he chuckled. "What do you know of anything, foolish girl?"

"I know enough," Anastasia said bravely. "I know that you and Elizabeth have been conspiring to kidnap the princess for some time now, and you are holding Amelia for ransom until your brother gives you the throne. I also know that a wretched man like you is undeserving of a family like the Grey's."

Jack's face fell, clearly appalled by how much she knew. His face had drained of all color as he stared at Anastasia with shock and anger. "What the hell is this?" he spat with vitriol. "How could you know all of this? Who the hell are you - tell me!"

He was beginning to panic, Anastasia could tell, but he was still a dangerous man with a rifle pointed at her, and she needed to be careful. She did not want to say anything stupid, but out of the corner of her eye she saw movement on the floor a couple feet away from her and Jack. Amelia had finally woken up, and she was inching her feet closer to Jack, who apparently had not seen her yet.

"You want to know who I am?" Anastasia drew herself up taller, glaring at this horrible, wretched man right in the eye. "I am the woman Prince Christian asked to marry him."

Jack barely had a moment to react to what Anastasia said when Amelia suddenly kicked her foot as hard as she could against Jack's shin, causing his leg to buckle. In a flash, Anastasia had dropped her hatchet and lunged forward, grabbing the rifle in Jack's hands, forcing the tip up toward the ceiling and away from her face. She and Jack grappled for the gun for a moment or two, neither of them letting go, when it suddenly went off, gunpowder smoke billowing around them in a sudden haze. The bullet was now lodged into the cellar ceiling, and bits of plaster and wood showered onto their heads.

Jack was stronger than Anastasia, and he was gaining the upper hand by forcing her a few steps back by the rifle they were both still holding onto. He gave her a malicious grin, but Anastasia was determined not to be beaten. With a yell through her clenched teeth, Anastasia shoved the rifle toward him as hard as she could, and the butt of the gun hit him in the head with a sickening clunk.

Eyes rolling to the back of his head, Jack fell to the ground in an unconscious heap, the rifle slipping from his limp hands. Anastasia, panting heavily, stared at Jack's lifeless form before dropping the gun from her own hands, feeling a distinct sense of relief.

Amelia tried lifting herself from her place on the floor, and Anastasia quickly went over to her, helping her sit up. Amelia appeared to be in a wretched state - her dress was torn and dirty, and her hair was unkempt and caked in blood from the gash on her head. Her brown eyes blinked up at Anastasia, however, cognizant of her surroundings.

"It is you…" she murmured, staring at Anastasia with bleary realization. "The girl… the one Christian has been visiting in secret…"

"Shh," Anastasia shushed soothingly, trying to untie the rope binding her hands. "Yes I am, but we need to get you out of here and back to the castle right away."

"What is your name?" Amelia asked, struggling to sit up more. "Did my brother send you to find me?"

"My name is Anastasia," Anastasia said, still trying to untie Amelia's hands. "And no, Christian does not know I am here. It is a long story, and not one I should tell while we are trying to escape."

Giving up trying to untie the rope knot, Anastasia went to pick up the hatchet she had dropped on the ground earlier. "Do not move," she warned, lifting the hatchet above her head. In one fell swoop, she cut the rope from the bedpost, and the knot tying Amelia's hands together instantly fell apart.

Anastasia dropped the hatchet and helped Amelia to her feet. Once standing, Amelia immediately threw her arms around Anastasia's shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"Thank you for saving my life," she whispered. "I cannot begin to repay you for what you have done for me."

Anastasia could not help but smile sadly, hugging Amelia back. "You are Christian's sister," she stated, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "I would save him and his family a million times over if I could."

Amelia's eyes shimmered as she smiled back. "You really love him," she said, gazing at her. "And despite what my father says, I know that Christian loves you too. I have never seen him act like this over a girl before."

Anastasia smiled slightly, moving Amelia's arm over her shoulders to help her walk toward the stairs. "Yes I do love your brother, but I never intended our relationship to cause any trouble with your family. If it is alright with you, I would appreciate some discretion about it."

"It will be our secret," Amelia promised, grimacing in pain as Anastasia helped her up the stairs toward the main floor. It appeared as if her foot was injured, and she limped as she and Anastasia headed toward the exit.

There was the distinct sound of galloping horses coming from the street outside, and Amelia seemed to perk up upon hearing them. "HELP!" she suddenly screamed at the top of her voice. "I'M IN HERE! HELP!"

There was a loud whinny from right outside the door, and the next moment two castle guardsmen burst through the door, their bayonets drawn as they took in the scene around them.

Anastasia felt an overwhelming flood of relief upon seeing them here. _We're finally safe_.

"Princess!" the first guardsman exclaimed, gazing at Amelia with wide eyes.

"Taylor!" Amelia cried with relief. She let go of Anastasia and rushed forward to hug the man tightly around the middle. "It was Uncle Jack, Taylor. He was…"

"We know," Taylor said grimly. "Where is he?"

"In the cellar," Anastasia pointed toward the staircase. The second guardsman immediately hoisted up his bayonet and rushed down the steps toward where she indicated. "He had an accomplice… a girl named Elizabeth, who I had knocked unconscious in the yard outside. She may still be out there."

The man named Taylor was gazing at Anastasia with a shocked expression on his face. "Who are you?"

"This is Anastasia," Amelia said quickly, moving back over to grasp her hand. "She found me and saved my life. Jack would have surely killed me if she hadn't come."

Anastasia gave Amelia a soft smile before turning back toward Taylor, who was regarding her in a scrutinizing way.

"You saved the princess?" he asked, gazing at her as if asking her to confirm it as truth. Anastasia simply nodded her head, afraid so say anything else.

"Come," he said after a moment, gesturing for them to follow him outside. "Both of you. We must go back to the castle at once to tell the king that the princess has been found safe."

* * *

 **A/N: Yay, hope you all enjoyed that! Next chapter, we will get to see the aftermath.**

 **If you liked this chapter, please leave a review! And be sure to check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	17. Aftermath

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and support! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Aftermath**

Anastasia and Amelia were taken to stand near Taylor's horse while the man himself hung back to arrest Jack and Elizabeth, both of whom had been apprehended by a few other guardsmen. Elizabeth had finally woken up and was now sitting locked in a covered wagon with her hands cuffed in chains, and Jack had also been arrested and thrown into the wagon, though he was still knocked out cold. Many more guardsmen on horses galloped their way over upon hearing of Amelia being found, and amidst all this commotion, the townspeople began to gather round the area, trying to get a glimpse of what was happening.

Anastasia stayed by Amelia's side the whole time, and Amelia clutched onto her hand with both of her own, as if afraid to let go. The guardsmen were able to keep most of the townspeople at bay, but one or two of them near the front seemed to recognize the princess, which caused more of a tumult amongst the crowd and made Amelia inch closer to Anastasia.

"Everybody - please back away," the guardsman named Reynolds urged the raucous crowd, holding a torch high above his head as the people swarmed around them. "There is nothing to see here."

"Princess Amelia!" several people in the crowd shouted at her, trying to get to her from behind the guards. "What has happened to you?"

"Why are you not in the castle?"

"Amelia!"

"I think I prefer the town from when I am riding inside the carriage," Amelia murmured to Anastasia, who smiled understandingly at her. At that moment, Taylor approached them again.

"We just sent an envoy to the king," Taylor spoke to Reynolds. "He will know that Amelia has been found safe and that Jack and his accomplice have been apprehended. We must head back at once to meet him at the gate."

"It may be rather difficult, with this crowd of people gathering," Reynolds said, nodding toward the townspeople surrounding them.

"We shall find a way," Taylor said. "Gather the horses."

Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted out: "Anastasia!"

Anastasia turned to see her father push his way through the crowd toward her, gazing at her with fear and worry. Immensely relieved to see him, Anastasia hurried forward and embraced him tightly as soon as he was near.

"Father - I am so happy to see you!" she cried with relief. "So much has happened this evening, I cannot begin to explain."

"Darling, I woke up and saw that you had not come home yet, and that there was a commotion outside. What has happened to you, and why are you out here with the princess?" Raymond said, gazing into his daughter's eyes before glancing over at Amelia. "Horrible rumors are flying about, saying something wretched has happened to her… what has happened, Anastasia?"

"It is not for me to say right now, Father, but I am sure it will all become clear within a day's time," Anastasia reassured him. "I will try to explain as soon as I come back from Grey Castle."

Raymond's eyes widened with shock upon hearing she was going to the castle. "What…?"

"Anastasia," Taylor approached her now, gesturing back toward the horse. "We must be going now."

"I shall be back soon, Father," Anastasia assured Raymond as Taylor directed her back toward Amelia and the others. "Please do not worry - all will be explained very soon!"

With that, Anastasia headed back over to Amelia, and Taylor helped the two of them get up onto a steed that Reynolds had brought for them. Anastasia sat at the front of the horse while Amelia sat behind her, holding her tightly around her waist - Anastasia suspected Amelia was still quite shaken from what had happened to her, therefore she clung tightly to whatever comfort she had within reach. Anastasia felt sorry that Amelia had had to go through all of that with her uncle, and she wanted to offer her any comfort she could give her.

Once they were situated on their horse, Taylor announced to all the guardsmen it was time to leave, and they began to move through the crowd of people, slowly but carefully heading down the main road toward Grey Castle.

Anastasia gazed at the castle in the far distance, feeling both nervous and excited for what was to come. She was highly aware of the fact she was likely going to be seeing Christian again soon, and as happy as that prospect made her, she did not know how the rest of the Grey family would receive her, or if they even knew who she was. Amelia had promised not to say anything about her relationship with Christian, though she doubted it mattered much now, since she was on her way to the castle anyway.

Anastasia grasped the horse's reigns tightly, and she and Amelia watched as Grey Castle loomed ever closer.

* * *

"We should have heard news by now."

Christian paced the length of the entire dining hall for the thousandth time, waiting impatiently for word on whether or not the guards had found Amelia. Carrick and Grace had been called away about an hour ago by one of the guardsmen, leaving Christian, Elliot, Isabel, Susanna, and Jonathan to wait in the dining hall. Elliot and Susanna were both sitting silently in their seats, deep in their thoughts, while Isabel and Jonathan had fallen asleep. Elliot had made the two of them a makeshift bed of blankets in the corner, and the two of them lay curled up together napping.

"Be patient, Christian," Elliot now said to his brother, getting to his feet as well. "If Mother and Father are gone for this long, it could be because they have heard good news about Amelia."

"Or it could be because the guards have found her dead body," Christian mumbled.

"Hey," Elliot frowned, glancing over toward his napping wife and son. "Don't speak of such things here."

"Well I cannot help thinking of such things anyway," Christian said fretfully, continuing to pace up and down the room. "We do not know what Uncle Jack has done to her, or what he is capable of…"

"We mustn't give up hope just yet, Christian."

Suddenly, the dining hall doors opened, and Grace hurried through. Elliot, Christian, and Susanna immediately turned to her, eager for news.

"What has happened, Mother?" Christian asked insistently.

"She has been found," Grace said, her smile bright and sincere as she gazed at her children. "Amelia was discovered in town by the guards, frightened but mostly unharmed. They have just brought her back to the castle."

Relief unlike anything Christian had felt before swept over him like a tidal wave, causing a disbelieving yet joyous laugh to leave his lips. Elliot seemed just as relieved, and he grasped Christian's shoulder tightly, grinning from ear to ear. Susanna was beaming widely as well, her hands clasped in front of her.

"Oh, this is wonderful news!" she said delightedly.

"What happened to Jack?" Elliot asked insistently. "Did he escape?"

"No, thankfully - the guardsmen found him knocked unconscious inside the home of his accomplice, where they had been keeping Amelia. The two of them have been arrested and brought into the castle dungeons - they shall not be escaping anytime soon."

Another bout of relief swept over Christian, and he grinned widely. "Where is Amelia?" he asked eagerly. "Can we go see her now?"

"Not just yet - your father and I learned that it was one of the townspeople who had apprehended Jack and rescued Amelia," Grace explained. "Whoever they are, they risked their lives to save the princess, and we owe this person a great debt. The guards have brought this person back with Amelia to the castle so we can give them a proper reward."

Elliot and Christian, who knew what their mother was about to say, both let out a groan of exasperation. "Mother, is now really the time for a welcoming ceremony…?" Elliot began to asked incredulously.

"Yes, it is," Grace said firmly. "We will greet this townsperson in the Hall of Ceremonies along with Amelia, and treat this person with the respect that is deserved of them by the royal family. It is what's customary."

"But Mother…" Elliot and Christian began, but Grace overrode them.

"No arguments," she said firmly. "You all shall do as you're told. Make yourselves presentable and meet us in the Hall of Ceremonies as quickly as possible - we shall all see Amelia soon. Take heart in the fact that she is alright now and that this nightmare is over."

Grace gave them all one last look before turning and heading back out the door into the corridor. Elliot and Christian exchanged a glance before Elliot turned and walked over toward his wife and son, who had finally begun to wake up.

"Guess we better get a move on," Susanna said. Christian didn't respond, too distracted with the idea of seeing his sister again. He couldn't fight the overwhelming relief from spreading throughout his body and mind - Grace was right in saying that this nightmare was finally over with Amelia finally back home. He could finally relax.

"Come on - let's go," Elliot said urgently as he ushered his family out the door. The others quickly followed, eager to change into their royal garb so they could get this over with.

Christian ran back to his chambers to change out of his bedclothes and into his princely garments, and he hurried back down to the Hall of Ceremonies, where he and the rest of his family would greet Amelia and the townsperson responsible for her rescue. Christian was only eager to be seeing his sister safely home, and if he had to put up with these royal niceties, then so be it.

The Hall of Ceremonies, as it was so aptly called, was built especially for special envoys and ceremonies held by the Grey family. Whenever visitors arrived to the castle, they were often presented to the royal family in this room - the hall was very long and ornately carpeted, beginning with large double doors and ending with the two thrones on a raised platform, where the king and queen sat. The Grey children would all stand around their parents, as was customary.

Christian now arrived at the Hall of Ceremonies to find many guardsmen already lined up along the runner leading down the hall, and the rest of the Grey family were at their places at the far end of the room. Christian hurried to his mother's side opposite Susanna, eager to get on with this so that he can be reunited with his sister once again.

The hall doors opened, and Taylor now strode in. He looked over at the king and nodded his head, and Carrick nodded back.

A moment later, Amelia walked in flanked by two guardsmen. Her dress was torn in places and was stained with mud, and her hair looked ragged and unkempt, but she beamed widely when she looked upon her family. Elliot and Christian, too eager to wait for her to come to them, left their posts by the throne and ran over to her, and Amelia ran toward them. The three of them embraced, happy to be reunited once again.

"Darling," Carrick smiled, getting to his feet as well. Amelia released her brothers and hurried over to her parents to hug them next. "We are delighted to see you home safely again."

"So am I," Amelia smiled widely up at her father, tears in her eyes. "I was afraid I would never get to see any of you again. But we must not forget to reward the girl who saved my life."

"Of course," Carrick agreed, and the rest of the Grey family got back into their positions. "Taylor - let her in."

Taylor opened the hall doors once again, and in walked a young woman flanked by two other guardsmen.

"Everyone - we are gathered here today at this late hour to rejoice in the arrival of my beloved daughter, Amelia Grey," Carrick announced to the room at large in his authoritative, kingly voice. "After she was kidnapped this evening by a man I am ashamed to have once called my brother, she has been found once again, safe and unharmed, thanks to one of our very own subjects. Because of her, the princess of Grey Castle has returned to her home and to her family..."

It took a moment or two for Christian to see the woman walking toward them, but once he recognized her, he was utterly shocked. The pieces all began to fall into place as he realized who it was that had done this for them - the woman who had risked her life to save his sister.

 _The woman who loved him._

"Anastasia!" Christian immediately called to her, ignoring his family and the guards around him as he stepped off the platform and began to run toward her. " _Anastasia!_ "

Anastasia looked right at him, and her beautiful blue eyes filled with tears as a relieved smile broke out across her gorgeous face. She stopped in her tracks, while the guards flanking her stopped too, glancing confusedly between her and Christian.

"Hey!" Carrick called after his son.

Christian ignored his father as he continued to run toward his love - the woman who owned him body and soul. He didn't stop until he reached her, and immediately the two of them embraced, clinging tightly to one another like they hadn't seen each other for years rather than merely a day. Anastasia had wrapped her arms tightly around Christian's neck, burying her face in his shoulder, while Christian wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his face against her sweet-smelling hair. He inhaled her scent, allowing himself to be comforted by her close proximity.

"I've missed you so much," Anastasia muttered into his shoulder. Christian smiled.

"I've missed you too, my love."

"Christian!"

Reluctantly, Christian and Anastasia broke apart and turned to see Carrick, Grace, and Elliot approach them, looking appalled at what they were seeing. Christian still kept an arm wrapped tightly around Anastasia as he gazed up back at them, unafraid of any repercussions he might face.

"Christian, what are you doing?" Carrick asked, glancing between him and Anastasia with a heavy frown on his face. "Who is this?"

"It's her, Father," Amelia piped up happily, and the others turned to look at her. "She's the girl Christian is in love with - she's the one who saved me."

"You mean…?" Elliot glanced between Amelia and Anastasia, frowning in realization. "That's the shoemaker's daughter?"

"Her name is Anastasia," Christian said to his brother before turning to look down at her with love in his eyes. Anastasia turned her face to him and smiled.

Grace gazed at the two of them before turning toward the guardsmen. "Please, leave us," she ordered them, and they all obediently filed out of the hall in a single row before closing the doors behind them.

"…She saved Amelia's life," Carrick said after the guards had left, still looking utterly shocked by this turn of events. "Did you know about this, Christian?"

"No of course not," Christian said, frowning. "How could I have? You had forced me to end my relationship with her - I have not been able to contact her."

"And how am I supposed to believe that?" Carrick demanded.

"Pardon me, Your Majesty," Anastasia spoke up quietly, and everyone silenced as they looked at her. She blushed heavily, but still gazed up at the king with defiance. "What your son says is true - he and I have not been in contact for over a day, but several days ago I had accidentally discovered the plot forming in town to kidnap the princess. I had told Christian about it in an attempt to stop it from happening, but evidently that wasn't enough. When I was out tonight, I saw the people who had been plotting against the princess pull her into a cellar, and I knew that I needed to be the one to save her."

"She was incredibly brave, Father," Amelia spoke up again, walking toward them. "She fought face-to-face against Uncle Jack, even though he had a rifle on her. I would not have been able to escape without her help."

Christian's heart constricted, and his arm around Anastasia tightened when Amelia mentioned a rifle. She hugged him tightly back.

Carrick shook his head, bringing a hand up to his forehead. "He had a gun…" he muttered to himself, the distress in his voice apparent. He was clearly still having trouble believing Jack would do a horrible thing like this.

There was suddenly the sound of a slamming door echoing throughout the hall, and the others looked around to see what had caused it - the door off to the side of the hall had slammed shut, and Susanna was no longer in the room. Everyone fell silent.

"She was not expecting this," Grace said quietly after a moment.

"None of us were," Carrick stated. "How is it possible that this is the same town girl Christian has been sneaking away to see?"

"She just saved Amelia's life," Christian snapped at his father. "Our family owes her everything! You said yourself that you wanted to give her a reward for what she has done, Father."

"Christian," Carrick began warningly.

"You know as well as I what that reward can be," Christian went on insistently. "You can allow Anastasia to be my wife."

His declaration was met by silence from the rest of the Grey's for several moments. "I think that's a wonderful idea," Amelia piped up happily.

"Amelia," Grace shushed her.

"Christian, I know that what you have been through over the past few days has been difficult," Carrick said firmly. "But are you truly willing to give up your betrothal over this? This is something that has been meticulously planned for you since you were a young boy."

"I am willing," Christian stated confidently. "I love Anastasia, Father - I have loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her. And after spending time with her and getting to know her, I could see that her heart and soul are just as beautiful as she is." Christian turned his loving gaze to Anastasia, who smiled back at him with tears in her eyes. "Tonight has shown all of us that her kindness and sincerity knows no limits, and I could not possibly love her anymore if I tried."

A tear or two slipped down Anastasia's cheeks; Christian leaned down to press his forehead against hers, loving the feeling of her skin against his.

Carrick was silent for several moments. It was clear he was struggling with his thoughts. "I hardly know what to say," he said after a moment, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "I need to think," he stated, bringing his hand back down after another moment. "I shall be in my study."

With that, he silently walked past everybody and headed out the hall doors toward his study. Elliot and Amelia exchanged surprised glances.

"He's actually considering it," Elliot said in a tone of complete disbelief. "Who would have thought?"

Christian watched his father leave the hall before looking back down at Anastasia. She gazed back up at him with worry and fear, but he smiled reassuringly at her, and she smiled tentatively back. He knew that if his stalwart father was actually considering the idea of him marrying a commoner, things would likely begin turning in their favor.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! It felt good to write that lol. Next chapter, we're going to see our favorite couple have the ending they deserve.**

 **Please review! And make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	18. Season of Change

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews and support! Hope you enjoy this next chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Season of Change**

Christian walked up and stood in front of the closed door for a moment or two, gazing at it as if contemplating what to do. After several seconds, he hesitantly lifted his hand and knocked lightly on the wood.

"Come in," a voice inside said, and Christian opened the door to step over the threshold.

He had never been inside Susanna's sleeping chambers before, and he noticed that the area was very pristine and elegantly decorated. Golds and pastels covered the four-poster bed and the floors, while the white wardrobe was open to reveal many beautiful gowns and dresses hanging side-by-side. Susanna herself was standing in front of her window, staring out toward the pastures, much like how Christian had seen her doing the other day. However, instead of watching the sunset, now she was watching the dawn rising above the treetops, the sun peeking up over the horizon as early morning encroached upon them.

Susanna turned toward Christian when he walked up to her, and she gave him a small smile. There was a noticeable shadow across her features when she smiled at him, however, which Christian noticed. He grimaced slightly.

"Hello, Susanna," he greeted her.

"Christian," Susanna nodded politely, turning back to face the window. "Did you wish to speak to me about something?"

Christian scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Yes, erm… I wanted to speak to you about what happened down in the Hall of Ceremonies earlier. I believe I owe you an explanation."

"It's alright," she said, turning away from the window to look at him again. She gave him a small smile. "Please, Christian - you do not need to explain yourself to me."

"I feel that I do," Christian said insistently. "You and I are still betrothed, after all."

Susanna's smile faltered ever so slightly. "Right… and am I to assume you no longer want us to be so?" she asked, a slight hardened note in her voice that Christian didn't miss. He didn't respond, unsure of what to say to that.

A moment later, Susanna seemed to come to herself a bit, and she softened slightly. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I do not mean to sound bitter. I guess I was just surprised to see you with that girl tonight, that's all."

"I am sorry you were blindsided like that," Christian said apologetically. "The truth is that my heart belongs to Anastasia - it has for some time now, even though my father refuses to accept that. Due to his insistence, I have not been in contact with her for over a day, therefore I did not expect her to be here tonight. But as it turned out she was the one who had saved my sister from my uncle."

Susanna nodded, looking thoughtful. "Your brother had said that she is the daughter of a shoemaker who lives in town?"

"She is," Christian nodded.

"And am I right in assuming that this girl is the reason why your father was so upset with you upon my arrival?"

Christian grimaced guiltily. "He had just discovered that I had been sneaking out of the castle at night to visit with her. He definitely was not very happy about that."

Susanna smiled understandingly. "No, I cannot imagine that he would be."

There was another brief silence between them, and Christian didn't know how to broach the subject he wanted to speak with her about. It was a delicate issue that needed to be handled with the utmost care, and now that he was here he didn't know how to put it into words.

"Susanna, I…" Christian began, but hesitated again. Susanna looked up at him. "I wanted to apologize to you for all of this. I know that you and I have had this arrangement for many years now, but I should let you know that I have told my father that I wish to end our betrothal so I can marry Anastasia instead."

Susanna's face bore an unreadable expression, but Christian could detect a hint of sadness in her eyes. "I see. And what did he say?"

"Nothing as of yet," Christian said. "He is considering it, though."

"After what Anastasia has done for your sister, I would not be surprised if the king were to soften the rules just this once and allow you to marry her," Susanna said with a sardonic smile. "She seems like she has a good heart."

"She does. It is one of the many reasons why I love her," Christian could not help but smile.

"…Seems like quite terrible timing," Susanna mused after a short silence between them. "The moment I come to Grey Castle to prepare for our nuptials is the same moment it is revealed you are in love with somebody else and wish to marry her instead. It makes me feel like I am the intruder."

"You are not an intruder, Susanna. Believe me, it was never my intention to hurt you," Christian said sincerely. "Please know that."

"I am not hurt, Christian - not really. Only embarrassed," Susanna said honestly. "I was surprised upon learning of Anastasia's existence, but I soon realized that she was the reason you had been quarreling with your father when I arrived the other day. And then everything fell into place when Amelia had been found and we learned that Anastasia was the one who had discovered the plot to kidnap her. You and I hardly know each other, Christian, but considering everything that has happened, I doubt I could ever hold a candle to Anastasia."

Christian felt his face heat up a bit as he realized what Susanna was saying. Previously, he had had no idea how she felt about him, but what she was saying now made it seem like her feelings for him ran deeper than he had ever believed before. It made this whole situation much more awkward, to say the least.

"I am not saying I am in love with you, Christian," Susanna said, as if reading his mind. "Quite honestly, I do not know how I feel about you, but I know that have always respected you. I thought - or rather hoped - that once we were married you and I would learn to love one another. But I suppose that is never meant to be."

"I am truly sorry for all of this, Susanna," Christian said sincerely. "While I agree we do not know each other very well, I can tell that you are a very kind and compassionate person. You will no doubt find someone to love you as much as I love Anastasia."

"Thank you, Christian," Susanna smiled at him before turning back toward the window. "I appreciate you stopping by. If you don't mind, however, I think I would like to be alone in my chambers until we all meet for breakfast in a couple hours."

"Of course," Christian said, and he turned to leave. "Goodbye, Susanna."

"Goodbye Christian."

Christian walked out of Susanna's room, unsure of how he was feeling. However, he knew without a doubt that their talk could have definitely gone much worse.

* * *

With the king having secluded himself in his study and Christian having gone off to have a word with Susanna, there was nothing for Anastasia to do in the castle, and as a result she felt very uncomfortable all alone in this vast, unfamiliar place. She had always wondered about where Christian had grown up - she had assumed it would be beautiful, but never had she imagined it would be this magnificent and grandiose. The hall in which she was taken into was the most ornately decorated place she had ever set foot in. Her own home seemed like a pigsty by comparison.

"Anastasia," Amelia now approached her, smiling kindly. "Are you alright? Did you want to go somewhere else to wait for Christian?"

Anastasia gave her a weak smile. "No, that's okay. I suppose I am just feeling a bit overwhelmed by everything that has happened though."

"That's understandable," Amelia chuckled. "Is there anything we can do to help make you feel more comfortable?"

"Honestly, I just want to go home right now to see my father," Anastasia said truthfully. "He saw us leaving with the guardsmen earlier and I am sure he is worried about me. However, I don't want to leave here without letting Christian know where I have gone."

"I can explain it to him - do not worry yourself over that," Amelia said reassuringly, taking Anastasia's hand and leading her toward the doors. "I can call one of the guardsmen to take you home right now, if that is what you wish."

"Thank you, Amelia," Anastasia said gratefully. She was thankful that someone here understood her desire to be reunited with her family right now.

Amelia smiled and led her out of the Hall of Ceremonies and toward the entrance hall, where many guardsmen were gathered together. They looked up as the two women approached them.

"Is everything alright, my Lady?" the guardsman named Reynolds asked Amelia.

"Anastasia wishes to go back home to her father right now," Amelia said to him. "I do not think she is needed here any longer - could one of you take her back into town?"

"Luke and I will do it," Reynolds said, gesturing to another guardsman beside him with sandy blonde hair. Luke nodded.

"Thank you," Amelia smiled at them before turning toward Anastasia. "They will make sure you get home safely, Anastasia."

Anastasia smiled widely back at her. "Thank you, Amelia. I appreciate all that you've done for me."

"Oh please - you have done far more for me, Anastasia," Amelia insisted. "I would not be standing here right now if not for you. I would probably still be tied up in that horrible cellar with Jack. I owe you everything."

Anastasia could not stop herself from tearing up as she and Amelia embraced each other tightly. Though the two of them had only known each other for about a day, Anastasia knew that she and Amelia would forever share a bond after what they had been through tonight. No matter what the king decided for Anastasia's fate, she knew she would never forget everything that had happened.

"Anastasia?"

The two women broke apart and looked up to see Christian approaching them. Anastasia smiled widely before stepping away from Amelia and hurrying over to him.

"Christian," she greeted happily, and once close to each other embraced each other tightly, both of them relieved to be with the other.

"What's happening?" Christian asked after they broke apart, glancing around at the guardsmen. "Are you going somewhere with the guards?"

"They are taking me back home," Anastasia explained. Christian suddenly looked down at her, alarmed.

"What? Why?"

"I want to be with my father right now," Anastasia placated him. "He saw me being led away with Amelia to the castle earlier this morning with the guardsmen, and I know he is worrying about me. I want to go back to him to show him that I am okay."

Christian softened slightly. "I see," he said. "But you do not need to leave the castle for that - one of our messengers can bring him a letter from you, if you truly wish to be in contact with him."

"I could do that, but I really would like to see my father right now, Christian," Anastasia countered. "I have been through a lot tonight, and I know I would like to be with him right now. Also…"

She hesitated, glancing down at her feet, and Christian gazed at her concernedly. "What is it?"

Anastasia looked back up at Christian and gave him a tentative smile. "If your father decides that I am not worthy to be your wife, than I shall just be an intruder here. If that is the case, I do not think my heart could bear it if I stayed here any longer. I would feel more comfortable if I were away when he makes his decision."

"Oh," Christian gazed at her sadly, his heart breaking at the notion of her not being his. "Do not give up hope just yet, Anastasia - we do not know what my father will say."

"I know, but I don't think my heart could handle it if he were to say no again," she said, her eyes filling with tears.

"If he says no again, I shall relentlessly argue with him until he says yes," Christian assured her, and Anastasia could not help but smile. Christian cupped her cheek gently in his hand. "Even if it takes me years, I shall convince him. I promise you."

Anastasia gazed up at Christian as if he were her reason for living. "Well, until then…" she whispered, and leaned up to kiss him gently on the lips. Christian kissed her back, but she pulled away from him before it could escalate into anything more. "I shall be waiting to hear word from you."

Christian simply watched her as she turned around and headed back over to Amelia and the guardsmen. Two of the men, Sawyer and Reynolds, stepped forward and followed her out the front door where the horses were waiting. Christian didn't look away until the doors closed after them.

"Do not worry yourself, Christian," Amelia walked up to her brother, smiling gently at him. "I am certain you will see her again."

Christian didn't say anything, still gazing at the closed doors where Anastasia had walked through. Yes, he knew he was going to see her again.

He would do everything in his power to ensure he did.

* * *

Dawn had turned into a bright and sunny morning as the whole of Grey Castle began to get up for the day. While many of its residents had been awake all night long due to the excitement of the previous evening, now the servants were up to make breakfast for everybody and help get the day started. Christian knew he would have to meet with everyone downstairs in the dining hall soon, and he still hadn't heard from his father.

He could be patient no longer.

Leaving his bedroom quarters, where he had been pacing around for the last thirty minutes or so, Christian now headed downstairs to his father's study, determined to finally get an answer from him. Carrick had been holed up in his study for hours now, and Christian was tired waiting for him to make up his mind.

Christian walked down the corridor adjacent to his father's study, but just as he was about to turn the corner, he heard voices talking up ahead. He slowed to a stop, realizing one of the people speaking was his father:

"…hardly know what to say. Are you sure about this?"

"He and I spoke about it this morning, Your Majesty," a female voice said, and Christian realized that it was Susanna. "It is what Christian wants, and I am completely okay with it. I do not wish to be standing in the way of his future happiness if he does not wish it to be with me."

"You have always been his betrothed, Susanna - you _are_ his future happiness."

"Well I disagree, sire. Even with royals like us, betrothals are becoming a thing of the past. Many of us have come to realize that marrying for political reasons often results in unhappy unions and even divorces, leaving couples to be unhappy and unable to effectively govern their nations. Marrying for love can bring about hope and happiness, not only for the couple in question, but for the many subjects who look up to them as their leaders. Therefore, I do not believe marrying for love is a bad thing - quite the opposite, in fact."

Carrick was silent for a moment or two. "You are wise beyond your years, Susanna," he said. "But please tell me - if I do allow you and Christian to end your betrothal, what will you do?"

"I shall go back home to Hertfordshire and explain to my mother and father what has happened," Susanna said. "I can assure you, sire, that I will make sure there will be no bad blood between our family and yours no matter what happens between me and your son."

"I am glad to hear that, Susanna. Though I doubt your father will be very happy that I would be depriving his daughter of a husband."

Susanna laughed. "I am barely nineteen, your Majesty. I am quite certain there is still plenty of time for me to find someone. I am actually rather excited at the prospect of getting swept off my feet by a suitor or two."

"Right," Carrick chuckled. "I suppose I shall go look for my son now. He is likely waiting impatiently for me to make my decision, and he will no doubt be delighted I am going to go against everything I have always stood for and let him marry a commoner..."

Christian didn't hear what was said next since Susanna and his father had begun to move down the corridor away from where he was hiding out.

Christian leaned against the wall, feeling almost faint and dizzy with relief, and a disbelieving laugh escaped his lips. Many thoughts filled his head, so many that he could not think straight, but the most prominent thought was that he wanted to get to Anastasia as soon as possible to tell her the good news.

That she was going to be his wife.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay! :) Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you did, please leave a review!**

 **Next chapter will likely be my last with Christian and Anastasia's happily ever after. See you there!**

 **Make sure you check out my Pinterest board for this story at www dot pinterest dot com/strawpaj/ships-in-the-night/**


	19. Wedding Bells

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing my story! I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Wedding Bells**

Raymond and Anastasia sat across from one another at the dining room table in their flat, the sun having already risen past the treetops on the eastern horizon. Since Raymond wasn't sure what had happened to his daughter last night or why she had been taken to the castle, he decided to delay opening the shoe shop another day until she returned. Thankfully, Anastasia had come back with a couple of the castle guardsmen early in the morning, and she and Raymond sat down together so she could tell him everything that had happened last night as well as over the past couple weeks. She told him about meeting Prince Christian Grey and pursuing a secret courtship with him away from the eyes of the public; she also told him about overhearing a plot to kidnap the princess and subsequently thwarting Jack Hyde's plans last night to save her life.

It took about an hour for her to explain everything, and once she was finished, Raymond was silent for several moments, absorbing everything she had said. It felt as if his brain would burst with all the information she had just given him.

"What you did last night was stupidly dangerous, Anastasia," Raymond said, frowning admonishingly at her. "So much could have gone wrong, and you could have been seriously injured, or worse. How could you have done something so stupidly reckless?"

"I'm sorry, Father," Anastasia said contritely. "I know it was dangerous - that's why I had warned Christian as soon as I found out what Jack were planning. However, my warning was not enough, as it became clear last night. I had no choice but to intervene."

"I still do not like that you got involved," Raymond frowned, shaking his head. "I wish it had not resorted to that, but I suppose there is little to be done about it now."

Anastasia grimaced but didn't say anything, and for several moments there was silence between them as they both mulled over their thoughts.

"So Prince Christian Grey of Grey Castle has been courting my daughter ever since we arrived in town," Raymond mused after a moment, his voice conveying his surprise. Anastasia couldn't help but smile slightly. "You're really in love with him?"

"I am," Anastasia confirmed, nodding. "I'm sorry I could not tell you, Father. It all happened very quickly, and since Christian was technically betrothed to a duchess at the time, he was forbidden from courting a commoner like me. We had to keep it a secret."

"I see," Raymond said, though he still frowned in confusion. "But he is no longer betrothed to this duchess now?"

"I am not sure. When I had discovered and thwarted the plot against Amelia, Christian asked his father to consider ending his betrothal so he can marry me instead. I have not heard the king's answer yet though."

Raymond let out an incredulous chuckle. "My goodness, Anastasia… you certainly have been busy these past few weeks, haven't you?"

Anastasia blushed and smiled. "I suppose I have. I am sorry I didn't tell you what had been going on with me. I know how often you've said I ought to find a young man worthy of my love… well, I believe I have found him, although I doubt you'd meant the prince of Grey Castle himself."

Raymond couldn't help but laugh. "I did once say that the man who would sweep you off your feet would have to be a real prince. I suppose I hadn't meant it so literally, though!"

They both laughed, and Anastasia felt relieved her father seemed okay with the idea of her and Christian. "Would you not be angry at the prospect of me marrying Christian, then?"

"Angry? Of course not, darling," Raymond insisted. "For God's sake he is a prince! That is hardly something to balk at. And the fact that he fell in love with someone like you tells me that he is of a very high moral standing."

"You mean because he is a prince and I am a commoner?" Anastasia couldn't help but ask.

"Well yes… and also because you, my darling, have a very kind and beautiful heart," Raymond said. He reached forward to take his daughter's hand in his own, and she squeezed his hand back, smiling. "Any man worthy of your love should be able to see that, and it seems as if Prince Christian has. I am sure he would make you a fine husband."

Anastasia smiled at her father, flattered that he felt that way about her. "Thank you, Father. But I do not know as of yet what the king has decided, meaning Christian may never get to be my husband."

Raymond smiled, patting her hand comfortingly. "We shall see, darling… we shall see."

* * *

Since the shoe shop was closed today, Raymond and Anastasia simply spent their time going through their inventory while also tidying the place up. Raymond initially didn't want Anastasia to work today because of the events that had happened last night, but she insisted she was alright and wanted to do something today to occupy her mind. Raymond reluctantly agreed, and the two of them chatted amicably as they worked, both of them grateful that things seemed to be relatively back to normal.

Anastasia, despite not knowing what was going to happen with her and Christian, felt oddly at peace at the moment. Having spent the last couple weeks hiding from the world, terrified of people finding out about her and Christian, she felt somewhat relieved that other people now knew and were okay with it. And the king was now even considering allowing her and Christian to be wed! Anastasia couldn't help but let herself hope just for a little while that maybe she could actually be with Christian.

The door to the shop suddenly burst open, and Alistair came running in.

"Alistair?" Raymond looked alarmed at his brother-in-law's behavior.

"Raymond!" Alistair exclaimed, out of breath. "Anastasia! Come outside - quickly!"

"What is it?" Anastasia frowned in surprise.

"The royal carriage is coming through town at the moment - it looks like the entire Grey family is there," Alistair explained excitedly. "They are coming this way, and everybody in town is gathering to see. Hurry now!"

Raymond and Anastasia glanced at each other before dropping what they were doing and hurrying outside after Alistair. Anastasia's heart was pounding wildly in her chest, and her mind was spinning about a mile a minute.

The whole Grey family had come out today - why? Was Christian with them? Why would they come into town in such a manner? Anastasia hurried after her father and uncle down the street and onto the main road, nervous and excited.

Sure enough, a large crowd was beginning to gather around the main street, and in the distance, a beautiful gold-trimmed carriage Anastasia had seen only once before slowly made its way down the cobblestone street. It was not just the carriage that was drawing everybody's attention, however - several guardsmen on beautiful white horses trotted alongside the carriage, and in front of the group was a young copper-haired gentleman in his finest princely garb riding a clydesdale.

 _Christian._

"Is that the prince?" Several people in the crowd exclaimed, pointing up at him.

"I think it is! That's Prince Christian!"

"He's so handsome!" a few women nearby giggled. Anastasia glanced over and saw Leila standing near the giggling women, gaping up at the prince in utter disbelief.

Anastasia looked back at Christian and couldn't help but smile widely. It had been a few hours since she had last seen him, and she honestly had missed him. His eyes were scanning the crowd of people, as if searching for somebody.

Finally, Christian's eyes landed on Anastasia, and the moment his gaze locked onto hers Anastasia felt as if her whole body was thrumming with electricity. He beamed at her, and she couldn't help but smile widely back.

"Whoa!" Christian pulled on the reigns of his horse, and it shuffled on its hooves before coming to a stop. The carriage and the other guardsmen on horses stopped as well.

As if in a daze, Anastasia watched Christian unhook his feet from the stirrups and hop off the horse before making his way over to her. She barely registered the crowd of people around her murmuring amongst each other, shocked and confused by what the prince was doing. They watched as Christian approached Anastasia.

"Anastasia," he greeted, and he gave her a courteous bow. Still feeling a bit dazed, Anastasia blushed before curtsying back.

"…and Mr. Steele," Christian turned to look at Raymond, who was standing beside his daughter. Christian held out his hand for him, and Raymond shook it, smiling widely.

"Prince Christian," Raymond greeted him politely. "I have heard much about you, dear boy."

"I have heard much about you too," Christian smiled. He glanced over at Anastasia for a moment before turning back to Raymond, squaring his shoulders. "I have come to you today to ask for your blessing in taking your daughter's hand in marriage, sir."

He looked only at Raymond as he asked that, but the crowd of people nearest him heard what he asked. Loud shocked gasps rippled through the crowd, and excited whispers began spreading from person to person. Christian said nothing as he waited for Raymond's response, and Anastasia could swear he looked almost nervous.

"You do have my blessing, son," Raymond said to Christian kindly, reaching forward to pat him on the shoulder. "It is clear how much you love my daughter, and there is no doubt that you will be able to provide for her and make her happy. But in the end it is not my decision to make - it is hers."

Christian nodded before turning to face Anastasia once again. She watched as he moved to stand right before her and get down on one knee.

"Anastasia - you are the love of my life," he said sincerely, reaching forward to take her hand in his own. Anastasia felt her eyes filling with tears as she gazed at him, a huge smile on her face. "And despite our different circumstances in life, I would be honored beyond my wildest dreams to call you my wife. Will you marry me?"

Feeling as if she were in a dream, Anastasia nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Yes, of course I will!"

Christian beamed at her, and he got to his feet, still holding her hand in his own. As if her ears had suddenly been turned back on, Anastasia heard the crowd of people begin to cheer and clap, having seen the proposal happen before their very eyes. Many of them had never so much as seen Prince Christian in person before, and none of them had any idea he had plans to marry a commoner like Anastasia. This was a pleasant and unexpected surprise, to say the least.

Christian and Anastasia stared into each other's eyes, smiling happily as the crowd cheered around them - they very much wanted to kiss one another, but they were both highly aware of the people around them and knew it wouldn't be very appropriate. Instead, Christian brought Anastasia's hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles sweetly.

"Anastasia!"

Amelia hopped out from the carriage and ran over to the two of them, beaming happily. Anastasia looked over to see her, Prince Elliot, and the King and Queen all exit the carriage after her, smiling widely at them.

"Hello, new little sister," Prince Elliot smiled widely at Anastasia, walking forward to pull her into a hug. "Welcome to the family."

The rest of the Grey family greeted Anastasia and Raymond in a similar way, smiling and hugging happily, welcoming the newest members of their family. The people in the crowd had never seen the royal family interact with commoners in such a manner, so this was all a shock to say the least. The guardsmen had to get off their horses and try to keep the excitable crowd at bay, but it was no easy task.

"Anastasia," Carrick approached Anastasia, smiling down at her appraisingly. "Welcome to the family."

Anastasia blushed, smiling widely. "Thank you, your Majesty."

"I know you just came back home, Anastasia, but we would love it if you and your father would join us at the castle," Amelia said excitedly, looking between Anastasia and Raymond. "We are going to celebrate your engagement with a huge feast!"

Anastasia smiled widely. "I'd love to come," she said brightly, turning to look at Raymond. "Father?"

"I don't see why not," he chuckled.

The royal family, Anastasia, and Raymond all began making their way toward the carriage, smiling and talking excitedly with one another. Anastasia was highly aware of the crowd of people watching them, but Christian simply pulled her to his side, making her feel safe and protected.

"After you, my lady," Christian walked them over to his horse, and he helped hoist her up so she was sitting side-saddle. Christian climbed up too so he was sitting behind her - his chest was pressed up against her back and his arms on either side of her, grasping the reigns while also holding her close.

"I told you I would convince them," Christian whispered into her ear, and Anastasia giggled, smiling over her shoulder at him.

"I never doubted you, my love," she said sweetly.

The carriage and horses turned around and began making their way through town back toward the castle, and the crowd of people who hadn't been privy to what happened seemed to slowly but surely realize that it was the shoemaker's daughter who was riding with Prince Christian. Anastasia felt embarrassed that everyone's eyes seemed to be on her, but she smiled and waved at the cheering crowd nonetheless.

"All the men seem to be staring at you," Christian noted, glancing around. "I am sure they are all jealous the most beautiful girl in the country has chosen to marry me."

"Or maybe they are confused that a prince like yourself would deign to marry a simple town girl like me," Anastasia pointed out.

"There is absolutely nothing simple about you, my love," Christian insisted. "I am the luckiest man in the world to be seen with you right now."

"And I am the luckiest girl," Anastasia looked over her shoulder to smile sweetly up at Christian. He smiled back at her.

"Your life is about to be much different now, My Lady," Christian said, glancing around at the throngs of people surrounding them. "Are you sure you are ready for it?"

Anastasia glanced around at the crowd of people too before gazing toward Grey Castle in the distance. She couldn't help but smile.

"Absolutely."

* * *

 **~One Month Later~**

The next month or so passed by in a blur. Soon after Christian's proposal to Anastasia, King Carrick signed the order for Jack and Elizabeth to be condemned to the fullest extent of the law. They were to be publicly hanged as punishment for their crimes; however, when the day of the hanging commenced, neither the king nor anybody in the Grey family could bring themselves to attend. Once the deed was done and confirmed by the guardsmen, however, everybody in Grey Castle rested a little more comfortably from then on.

As a way of saying thank you for saving his daughter's life, King Carrick then decided to formally knight Anastasia for her heroic deed. It was simply an honorable title bestowed upon her, but it made Christian and the rest of the Grey family very happy. Anastasia was now lawfully a recognized member of Grey Castle, and pretty soon she would become a member of the Grey family once she was married to Christian.

In preparation for her and Christian's approaching nuptials, Anastasia and Raymond officially moved into Grey Castle. Raymond was very hesitant to abandon his shoe shop so soon after he had started it, but the king was kind enough to appoint Raymond the official cobbler of Grey Castle, and his brother-in-law Alistair as his partner. They would both be paid handsomely for their work, and considering the amount of people who resided inside the castle, Raymond and Alistair would surely be kept very busy making and repairing peoples' shoes for many years to come. Raymond was positively delighted by this promotion, and couldn't stop expressing his thanks to the king for this opportunity.

Raymond and Anastasia were slowly but surely becoming a more ingrained part of the Grey family's life, much to everyone's delight. Amelia, Grace, Isabel, and Anastasia had begun planning and preparing for the wedding immediately - it was going to be a huge affair for the whole province to witness, and would undoubtedly bring much attention from other kingdoms all over. Even though Anastasia was perfectly fine with a small, simple wedding, the royal family had different ideas in mind. The Hall of Ceremonies was going to be where the wedding would take place, and the whole room would be completely covered in white wedding adornments - the carpeting, windows, ceilings, and altar were going to be swathed in white silk, and opulent floral arrangements were going to cover every available surface around the pulpit and windowsills. The dresses for the ladies were being specially made with muslin silk and lace, and Anastasia's would be the most beautiful one of them all.

All this wedding planning was almost overwhelming to Anastasia, but she thought of her future husband, and she felt better. Being married to Christian would be worth all the stress of planning this wedding, and she could not wait for the day when she could call him hers.

This whole experience felt like a dream - one she hoped never to have to wake up from.

~/~

Finally, after weeks and weeks of strenuous planning, it was now the night before the wedding. Per tradition, Anastasia and Christian would sleep in separate chambers tonight, and once they were wed tomorrow they could finally share a bed together as husband and wife.

Anastasia was not patient enough to wait for that, however - she now sneaked her way through the darkened castle corridors in the middle of the night while everyone slept. She made extra sure to stay quiet so as not to encounter one of the servants who were already preparing the food and accouterments for tomorrow's reception.

She made it to Christian's bedroom door, and, without knocking, quietly turned the handle and slipped inside. The hearth of his fireplace only had a couple glowing embers left, and at the far wall saw her beautiful soon-to-be husband slumbering quietly in his bed. Smiling to herself, Anastasia walked quietly over to him and sat on the edge of his bed, gently shaking him awake.

"Hm…" Christian rolled over onto his back, blearily opening his eyes. "Anastasia?"

"Yes," Anastasia smiled at his adorably sleepy face. "I am sorry to wake you, my love, but I couldn't sleep. I missed you too much."

Christian blinked slowly, waking up a bit more as he stared at Anastasia. All of a sudden, he sat up and took her face in his hands, pressing his lips to hers fiercely as if he hadn't seen her in ages. Anastasia giggled as she kissed him back, and allowed him to move them so they were lying back down on his bed.

"...I was dreaming you were with me," Christian admitted breathlessly after finally pulling away, still holding her close. "It was spectacular… and then I woke up and saw you here. You are quite literally a dream come true, Anastasia."

She giggled again, gazing into his gorgeous gray eyes. "I am not even supposed to be here, Christian. Perhaps I should leave?"

"You will do no such thing," Christian insisted. "You are going to be my wife, and you and I shall be sharing this bed for the rest of our lives. This is precisely where you belong."

Anastasia smiled as she leaned forward and gently pecked him on the lips. "Then I shall stay, dear husband, if you so wish."

"I am glad, my dear wife."

And with that, Christian rolled over so he was on top of Anastasia, kissing her into oblivion. Anastasia kissed him back, feeling excited and elated beyond belief that tomorrow she was going to officially be Prince Christian Grey's wife - she would actually hold the title of Princess. Never in her entire life had she thought she would be in this position, and it was almost unbelievable that she was really here right now.

But she really was here, and Christian was real. He was hers, forever and always.

Nothing in life could ever be this perfect.

THE END

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for reading my story!**

 **I honestly loved writing this fic from beginning to end. I had always wanted to write a story like this, but when I started it I was kind of disappointed when a lot of people really weren't that into it. Maybe because of the setting? I don't know, but to all of you who reviewed and stuck with me to the very end, I deeply appreciate all of you! :) lol**

 **Until next time then,**

 **Straw Paj**


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